What began as a project to minimize lesson disruption by video enabling essential physical learning spaces and expanding the use of Zoom to on-premise, soon evolved once both students and teachers adapted to the new hybrid world. Not only did RCA need to provide easy to use and intuitive room set-ups, but they also needed solutions that could be versatile for the diverse user needs within the college.

Alex Watt, IT Services Manager at the Royal College of Art explains that the RCA is “an ever-moving environment; meeting rooms become teaching spaces, which become open plan office spaces, which become studio spaces on a six-monthly basis. With every new term, there’s a new wall taken up or put down, so one of the keys was that it was a flexible system that could be quite easily moved if it needed to be.”

Following the successful trial of 1, which progressed to 10 devices, Strive AV and DTEN supported the RCA with a complete roll out of over 120+ Zoom-enabled spaces which include DTEN D7 All-in-one video conferencing and collaboration devices, mounted on mobile carts to deliver true flexibility.

Watt continues “Whether it’s testament to the hardware that’s in the device, or the integration with Zoom, but they’re very forgiving on a wireless connection. That actually makes the DTEN D7s incredibly useful as they can be pretty much rolled into any space where we’ve got a half-decent WiFi connection and they just work, and they can also be used in a more creative way.”

Watch the full story here.

Since the DTEN deployment, the Royal College of Art has seen many benefits. It’s been able to provide its academics with a flexible teaching solution where they can learn in person and remotely. Ahead of the pandemic this hybrid approach wasn’t an option which means they have now attracted a more geographically dispersed student body.

The legacy fixed solutions such as projectors and screens in a traditional education environment have been replaced to support modern teaching methods. Where there is flexible seating throughout the campuses, there is now flexible technology too which allows technology to be utilised more effectively.

The RCA have also managed to save resources on device management. James King, Head of IT at Royal College of Art explains “The amount of resources we put into supporting the units has dropped dramatically as they are self-service; people are very happy to walk into a room, find one, log in and start their work. That has led to an increase in satisfaction across our user base.”

Overall, the Royal College of Art has achieved its aims of a flexible, user-friendly solution that will not only ensure students have the best possible learning experience but that will add value to its teaching environments.

On Monday 17 October, selected pupils from the Valley School joined county councillors and project officers to get up close to the construction of their new school – which is due to be completed in the Autumn term next year (October 2023).

This substantial development forms part of Hertfordshire County Council’s planned investment in SEND, which equates to more than £50m over the next three years.

Cllr Terry Douris, Executive Member for Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “The new building and facilities for this school reflects our commitment to making sure that every child and young person continues to have access to a good school, where they can be supported to achieve their full potential.

“We have used the opportunity of the new build to increase the number of places available, helping us to meet the increasing need for special education in Hertfordshire and make sure that children and young people are receiving the right support, at the right time, in the right place. It’s a fantastic investment for the young people of Hertfordshire and I pay my thanks to everyone who has been involved.”

On the day, six pupils from the school mingled with county councillors who’d had a role in planning and allocating the funding required to invest in Stevenage’s new SEND school, as well as project officers and architects. The children pointed out the foundations of their new classrooms and shared their excitement about their new school.

David Pearce, Headteacher at The Valley School, told those attending the event how the building project has become a source of excitement and inspiration for the children. “The children are watching the time-lapse cameras and looking through the viewing panels, seeing their new school being built. They’re looking forward to November when they’ll be able to see the frame going up and the school taking shape – they’re already talking about where their classrooms will be, and their chance to visit the site and the project team.

“It’s really exciting for the students and the whole of the school community.  As the head teacher it is amazing to be able to complement our high-quality teaching with a learning environment that our young people can really enjoy. It is very special. This is giving the students, teachers and support staff the best of the best and they absolutely deserve it!”

The Valley School buildings had originally been designed to be used by a mainstream secondary school, which then became a SEND school in 1991.

“The current building is coming to the end of its serviceable life, with maintenance costs increasing,” explains Cllr Bob Deering, Cabinet Member for Resources at Hertfordshire County Council. “This is why we took this opportunity to invest in a new purpose-built school suitable for children with SEND which, through its enhanced environmental credentials, will be much more sustainable and efficient to run and maintain in the future.”

In addition to being built according to the latest guidelines from the Department for Education, the new special school also reflects Hertfordshire County Council’s wider commitment to sustainable, responsible growth in Hertfordshire.

Once built, the new school will be net zero carbon in operation, will generate its own electricity onsite and will only use electricity. It will also help to enhance local biodiversity through the installation of bat and bird boxes and green roofs.

The overall presentation of the new, single-storey building will also be more in keeping with the local environment than the existing school. Its green roofs and sunken location in the shallow valley means that the building will blend into its natural surroundings.

The new purpose-built school has been designed through ongoing consultation with teaching staff, to meet the needs of the current Valley School pupils.

During the pandemic, classes had been grouped together in their school years; this was found to be advantageous to supporting the children more closely. This has now become a dominant design feature, with the year group pods situated around two central courtyards – each with their own toilets and areas for group work. There is also a high-ceilinged multi-use space the school can use for sports, dining and drama.

For more information about Hertfordshire County Council’s commitment to invest in special education provision, read the council’s SEND strategy and for information and resources to help you support a child with special educational needs, visit the local offer.

The proposals for the first primary school at the development of the former barracks at Waterbeach have been announced by Cambridgeshire County Council. The new school will be called Deneia Primary Academy, to reflect the history of the area, and will be a part of Anglian Learning, a multi academy trust based in East Anglia covering Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.
The school will be built as part of Urban&Civic’s Waterbeach development and, subject to successful final planning permission, will offer education for children from age four through to eleven. Deneia Primary Academy will open from September 2024.

Anglian Learning has been working with Urban&Civic, Van Heyningen & Haward Architects, Cambridgeshire County Council and the constructors of the school, RG Carter, throughout the design stages. The new 630 place, 3 form entry academy will have extensive grounds and will be an environmentally friendly building. The school will be built as a nearly net zero energy building and whole life carbon emissions are minimised within the proposals. These designs will produce a building and grounds that are resilient in the face of climate change.

Provision for each year group at the school will be created using linked classrooms and shared breakout spaces to facilitate flexible and creative approaches to learning. The academy has additional facilities to provide bespoke provision for children with special educational needs.

The school has also been carefully designed into the wider development by providing nearby woodland play areas and a car free zone, so the children can walk, cycle and scoot safely to school. It will also have a shared public square in front of the school for parents to meet and the community to come together.

Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning (pictured), said: “We are delighted to be the sponsors for this new primary school. As a Trust our vision is for dynamic, empowered learners who will thrive and lead within their community. Deneia Primary Academy will be built with an outstanding setting and learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, and this will enthuse the children in their learning and deliver on our ambition.”

Rachael Johnston, Executive Headteacher for Deneia Primary Academy, said: “I am thrilled to be leading the establishment of this new school for Anglian Learning. The eco-credentials of the school build with sustainable and reusable materials, will significantly influence our curriculum. For example, the extensive grounds, including mature woodland, pond and wildlife area will provide the opportunity for outdoor learning through our Forest School whilst the orchard, with heritage fruit trees, will provide pupils with the experience of growing their own food and will be incorporated in lessons on cookery and nutrition.

“As an Anglian Learning school, there will be a strong focus on the arts, due to the formal Memorandum of Understanding that the Trust has with Arts Council England and our commitment to embed arts and culture within all of our academies.”

Caroline Foster, Project Director at Urban&Civic (pictured), said: “This is a significant milestone for the development, and we are really pleased to be working with an Academy Trust that shares our vision for the community. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the County Council and Anglian Learning on the delivery of Waterbeach’s first primary school in an inspirational woodland setting.”

Deneia Primary Academy will be the sixteenth school to join Anglian Learning. Formed in 2016, the Trust spans education from early years through to Year 13 with nine primary schools, six secondary schools including two sixth forms.

The new school will have a Local Governing Body, comprising members of Anglian Learning, the local community and parents. It will be at the heart of the community at Waterbeach New Town, a thriving, diverse community in a sustainable and well-connected location in Cambridgeshire. The development will be delivered in phases with each phase containing the facilities, amenities and services the new community needs – from homes and schools through to green space, play areas, sports facilities, shops, eateries and community spaces, all connected by an extensive network of footpaths and cycleways.

To find out more about Deneia Primary Academy and to register an interest in places at the school, please contact enquiries@anglianlearning.org.

At Locker Space, we speak to schools on a regular basis who would love to provide a locker for their students, as well as many schools who are desperate to replace the old, worn-out lockers they currently have in place. However, they often find that due to a lack of capital budget and the high cost of new lockers, they can’t afford to purchase the number of lockers they really need, if any at all. That’s where we come in! We strongly believe that students shouldn’t be deprived of a school locker and therefore have created a locker rental package specifically for the UK’s education sector. For some schools, budget may not be the sole reason preventing them from acquiring new lockers, as space can also be an issue. We are very creative at Locker Space, and you might be surprised where our lockers can be installed.

The lockers are provided free of charge to all size schools, colleges, and universities. The lockers are owned by Locker Space and are available for parents/students to rent on an annual basis with Locker Space being responsible for their maintenance and digital code locking management. You can choose your locker and its location online via our safe and secure bespoke booking system – the rental cost for a student locker is £36 per year, allowing student use for the whole academic year from September through to July. Please note all bookings terminate at the end of the school year in July. The locker’s cost can be pro-rated so we can provide installation at any time of the year.

The lockers are designed and manufactured in UK. They are protected with Elite GUARD anti-bacterial powder coating, which fights bacterial contamination. It is 99.9% effective against MRSA and E-coli.

It is also shown to exhibit zero growth for fungi and moulds.

To enquire about the free supply of lockers for your school, college or university call us free on 0800 043 0015 or visit www.lockerspace.co.uk

A member of the team would love to learn more about your requirements and provide a no obligation free site survey.

The competition is open to all schools in England and Wales. To enter schools need to fill in a simple entry form on the A&S Landscape website. Schools will then need to collect votes, with the school with the highest number of votes winning the competition.

The decision to relaunch the competition was a no-brainer for the team at A&S Landscape after the unprecedented interest in the previous contest, which saw a total of 48,000 votes cast. Competition Coordinator at A&S Landscape, Lucy Grime, shared why the decision was made to give away another canopy: “After the hardships and challenges faced by many schools throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we were all too aware that many were struggling to make improvements to their facilities due to a lack of budget and manpower. We knew that giving away a canopy would to help spread some positivity and make a difference to the winning school.”

Schools have until the 15th July 2022 to enter the competition, with the winner being announced shortly after.

Door Group, a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, is stressing

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires schools to undertake risk assessments to identify the general fire precautions needed to safeguard the safety of occupants in case of fire, including their safe means of escape.

Despite this, recent research[1] showed that schools have been hit by 2,300 fires in the last five years, destroying 47 primary and secondary school buildings alone.

Fire doors are one of the most important safety features in a building, and regular product specifications or dedicated fire door inspections are essential to fully ensure health and safety measures are met.

Education buildings can present highly specific requirements for fire doorsets, with particularly varied legislation and building regulations surrounding fire doors in schools.

These doors are subject to extremely high levels of traffic, and subsequently a higher level of misuse and abuse, which can then lead to functional problems resulting in non-compliance.

Brian Sofley, Managing Director of ASSA ABLOY Door Group, explains: “Whilst statutory inspections are being completed for the entire building, the necessary attention to fire door compliance is being overlooked.

“Our team of BRE qualified engineers have found a large percentage of fire doors to be non-compliant when completing a dedicated fire door inspection in schools over the past 3-4 years. For example, in one school, 163 of the 164 fire doors we inspected were not fire compliant.”

The economic and social impact of school fires on staff, pupils, and the local community can be significant, causing financial hardship, emotional trauma, and a delay in learning.

A study[2] found that 17 per cent of schools who had experienced a fire said that it had led to a drop in staff morale, six per cent to a drop in morale amongst pupils and seven per cent said that their fire had led to negative publicity about their school.

Door Group is committed to raising the standard of fire door safety in schools, providing a fully comprehensive inspection which can be carried out every three, four, six or 12 months to suit specific requirements.

Following inspections, Door Group then offer detailed reports containing advice and recommendations on necessary improvements, with the knowledge that identifying any potential issues that could impact safety and product performance can be lifesaving.

If any issues do occur, a tailored repair proposal is issued to include anything from replacement doors to a regular maintenance program. Door Group inspectors are BRE-certified and will ensure that all fire doors inspected meet all necessary standards and regulations.

Brian adds: “An education building should be a safe and secure place for students and staff, to work and learn. Door Group is committed to making schools, colleges and universities across the UK fire protected.

“With regular and thorough inspections, we can ensure the compliance and performance of fire doorsets in an effort to improve overall fire safety in the educational environment, while minimising the risk that learning could be negatively impacted by a fire.”

For more information on ASSA ABLOY Door Group, please visit https://bit.ly/3hVybbC.

[1] https://www.zurich.co.uk/media-centre/more-than-1100-classrooms-gutted-by-school-blazes

[2] National Foundation for Educational Research – The impact of school fires: A study of the wider economic and social impacts on schools and the local community

In April 2022, the cost of mains supply water to schools will increase for two reasons, an underlying inflationary increase in the cost of maintaining the water network and a one-off price increase introduced by Ofwat in response to COVID-19. Let’s start with the first:

Increases in the wholesale cost of water

The cost of maintaining and operating the water network increases every year through the twin effects of population growth and global warming. The increase in the wholesale price of water is passed on to homes and businesses across the country.  On average wholesale water rates will increase by 1.7% from the 1st of April, with the exact change depending on your region.

Increase in retail fees in response to the Coronavirus

Most English schools have never switched water suppliers and pay default rates on a deemed contract.  Over the last two years, business water suppliers have suffered increasing levels of bad debt caused by COVID-19.  To protect the industry and avoid suppliers going out of business Ofwat is allowing business water suppliers a one-off increase in their default retail fee.

How schools can avoid the increase in water rates

The one-off increase in retail fees only applies to default water rates.  Schools can avoid the rates increase by agreeing to a fixed-rate water contract.  Commercial water contracts work the same way as for electricity and gas, with lots of business energy suppliers competing for prices.

The English commercial water market deregulated in 2017, and competition in the water market has gradually increased.  English schools can now save thousands by comparing the water market and switching to a more competitive tariff.

Compare business water rates today with AquaSwitch, the UK’s leading commercial water price comparison website.

Staffordshire University Academies Trust will be investing over £150k, in academic year 2021-2022, to replace the roofs at four of its academies. This will bring the Trust’s total investment in the real estate across its 20 schools to around £1.5 million over the last three years. All 20 schools have had additional investment in some aspect of their property over this time period, for example, car parks, windows, lighting, doors.

St Edward’s CE Academy in Cheddleton, Staffordshire University Academy in Hednesford, Tynsel Parkes CE Primary Academy in Uttoxeter and Church Eaton Primary School near Stafford, have all had new roofs installed over the summer. 

The entirety of the work is expected to be complete before the new school term and will provide the academies with building regulation compliant and most importantly, watertight roofs, creating a safe, warm and dry learning environment.  

CEO of SUA Trust Keith Hollins said: “We’ve invested in these academies because their roofs were flagged as high priority issues in our Trust – wide condition survey and have physically been leaking into classrooms, which has the potential to impact adversely on teaching and learning and staff and pupil well-being.  

“As part of our Trust, we ensure that all of our academies are supported not just with educational and business matters but with infrastructure too, enabling teachers and support staff to focus on teaching and learning.  

“This latest round of investment means that staff and pupils are working in a high-quality environment and that the Academy Principals have one less thing to worry about.” 

]]> https://education-today.co.uk/students-from-across-the-uk-invited-to-share-their-views-on-parliament-restoration/ Tue, 18 May 2021 07:32:14 +0000 https://education-today.co.uk/?p=13915 The Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme has partnered with educational charity, Smart School Councils, on a programme of activities to hear the views of children and young people about the historic restoration of the Palace of Westminster.

Children and young people will be able to take part in the debates in school through the Smart School Councils’ Big Debate Club, a model which provides teachers with a range of free classroom and online activities.

The debates will engage students of all ages and abilities with questions and topics about the different elements of the restoration and renewal programme, enabling children to learn more about the Palace of Westminster and express their opinions and perspectives on the importance of the project.

Sarah Johnson, CEO, Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body said: “As we get on with the job of developing the plan to restore the iconic Houses of Parliament, it is important to remember that children and young people are the future custodians of this historic building. I am delighted that we are working with the Smart School Councils charity to hear the views of young people about the restoration and renewal of the Houses of Parliament.”

Schools will be able to upload their responses on a range of aspects of the restoration to the Big Debate Club website and these views will be used to inform the detailed and costed restoration plan which is being developed by the Restoration and Renewal Programme.

A further two Big Debate Club questions exploring the restoration of Parliament in relation to sustainability and accessibility will take place in June 2021. There will be a future series of activities later in 2021.

Schools that sign up to the Big Debate Club will also be provided free continued professional development (CPD) webinars giving an additional layer of support to help teachers to facilitate meaningful classroom discussions on the topic of Restoration and Renewal.

These activities are part of a range of work planned to engage the public across the UK with the Restoration and Renewal Programme.

Schools can participate in the debates for free by visiting https://bigdebateclub.com/

1 – Railings

Many schoolyard injuries occur on walkways. They seem innocent enough, but when wet can be a major hazard. When icy they are downright dangerous.

The proper railings will ensure that students can get into the school building without any risk of injury since they are designed for the type of use that a school demands. There are different ages of students so they should be at a comfortable height for the younger ones while older students still have easy hand access to keep them steady when needed.

Key clamp handrails from Ezi Klamp are an ideal solution since they are easily customizable for the needs of a particular school. As a bonus, they are economical as they are easy to install and require no specialized tools.

2 – Doors

We’ve all been there in the past. Just tried to nip through a door before it’s closed, and it’s trapped our fingers in there. While nine times out of ten, it probably results in a few bruises, it isn’t severe enough to warrant a trip to A&E.

However, with pupils’ safety at the forefront, doors must be as safe as possible; finger guards are a must. Many secondary schools now operate a system whereby doors can be opened upon the presentation of a school ID card, required by both staff and students alike. Other schools may prefer doors with two handles to prevent the escape of younger children or those with special educational needs who may be runners.

3 – Windows

Windows can be the bane of a caretaker’s life. Historically, there were always ones in the hall that required the use of a special contraption to open them, which inevitably went missing when the whole school was in there doing a play practice, getting hotter and hotter by the minute. Nowadays, windows tend to be a lot more straightforward, with permanent ways to open attached to the wall.

This makes it a much safer operation, with no one attempting to stand on chairs, for example, to attempt to open them. Furthermore, windows up high should be restricted to prevent anyone from being able to climb out and do potential harm to themselves or others.

4 – Stairs and Lifts

When it comes to a two-story building, it is vital to take into account that many accidents occur on the stairs. While historically, there were no lifts in schools, it is vital that schools are inclusive, ensuring that all pupils have equal access to both the curriculum and the physical building. Not only should a lift be a consideration, but one wide enough for a larger wheelchair. For special schools, one which fits both an acheeva bed, or similar, along with the additional adult, is a must. Furthermore, alternative escape routes are a must for occasions when lifts are not in operation. Consider investing in a ramp leading out to open space.