Temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment
Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire or sale of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment. Ideal for events or to provide temporary catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economic solution to the caterers’ needs. Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Ware-washing Units, Dry Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they can be linked together on site to form a complete complex. Alternatively, we can offer modular, open-plan facilities, usually for larger, longer-term hires. We offer a free design service, and project management from concept through to delivery and installation on site, plus full technical support throughout the hire period. The standard specification of our smallest Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, salamander grill, twin basket fryer, upright fridge, hot cupboard, single bowl sink unit with integral hand wash basin, plus ample power points to plug in Microwaves, Food Processors, Toasters etc. Internal equipment can be interchanged and clients can effectively specify their preferred layout. Some advice when considering temporary catering facilities Ideally the site must be accessible by road with any entrances and gateways no less than 3.5 metres in width. Space to manoeuvre a large Hi-ab truck needs to be considered and overhead cables/trees in the vicinity of the installation should be a minimum of 9 metres above ground to clear Hiab lifting gear. Ground should ideally be level and any soft areas made firm by means of purpose-built trackway to support the vehicle and cabin delivery. Linking of units to form a co-ordinated complex and weatherproof access to an existing building can be specified. All service connection points are provided on the exterior of each unit, and we can provide our own engineers to connect your services, if preferred. Power requirement for single units is from 63 Amps single phase, larger complexes may require a three phase supply. Water connection can be made to any potable source at mains pressure, such as a stand-pipe. We have many tried and tested design layouts and would be pleased to put forward our recommendations for your project. So if you’re planning a refurbishment or need to cater for an event then why not give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide advice and put forward a competitive proposal. For further information or to arrange a site visit, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk or call us on 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire.co.uk
The education of road safety in schools
In 2018 14,254 children were involved in road traffic accidents, a shocking 58% of road fatalities occurred to pedestrians under the age of 15.[i] Children are exposed to the dangers of the road every time they step out of their homes, none more so than on their journey to and from school. 98% of 5-10-year olds are usually accompanied to school by an adult and only 57% of 11-16-year olds usually have an adult companion on their journey. It is imperative that both teachers and parents educate their children about the dangers of the roads. A good starting point for children of all ages is to begin a discussion on how children get to school such as walking, cycling, in the car or public transport. When appropriate, you may wish to talk about the good and bad points for each option. These could include, but are not limited to: Health – Mental and physical. The governments National Travel Survey figures show that the number of children who walk or cycle to school has fallen from 53% to 51%. Environment – The average drive to school and back creates 800g of CO2 that is released into the air and contributes towards climate change. Social – Time to talk to parents, siblings and friends. Weather – How does the weather affect how you travel? Discussing the dangers This can then lead to a discussion on the dangers of travelling to school and the implications: • Parking on the yellow lines outside of the school and near designated crossings. • Crossing the road whilst using a mobile phone – a 2018 poll found that 1 in 4 children under the age of 6 has a smartphone and the national office for statistics found that over 12 million children under the age of 16 own a mobile phone[ii]. • Not wearing a seatbelt or using the correct car seat – The law states that children must use the correct car seat for their height or weight until they reach 135cm tall or their 12th birthday, whichever is first. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that any child under 14 is wearing a seatbelt[iii]. • Cycling without a helmet – whilst it is not the law, a Cochrane review suggested that cycle helmets decrease the risk of brain and head injuries by 65%-88%[iv]. • Visibility – wearing dark clothes at night may make you invisible to other road users. Encouraging problem solving Get your pupils problem solving by asking them what can be done to improve safety on their way to school, such as: • Holding a responsible adult’s hand • Wearing a correctly fitted cycle helmet • Using a seatbelt & child seat • Using designated crossing areas such as pelican and zebra crossings – how many types of crossings can your pupils name? • Wearing bright and highly reflective clothing when it is dark or weather conditions are bad. For a more practical solution get your pupils involved in designing products to make them more visible on their journey. Supporting Road Safety Week The Chapter 8 Shop road safety awareness campaign has been created to support the education of primary school children in the importance of being visible now that darker nights are upon, run in conjunction with Road Safety Week 18 – 24 November. Chapter 8 Shop are specialists in the manufacture of chevrons used on vehicles that need to comply with Chapter 8 of the government’s traffic signs manual. The materials they use offer high conspicuity as they are reflective from 400 metres to the highest grade of materials at 1000 metres. As a result of production there are many chevron offcuts left over, and in their endeavour to become more environmentally savvy they wanted to put these materials to good use. To make the campaign more interactive you are able to order a free pack that includes a selection of reflective chevron offcuts and snap bands. Once your pack has arrived, download the supporting materials to help your class understand about road safety. The offcuts in the box can be used to accessorise clothing, bags, helmets and cycles to ensure that the children are seen at night. The reflective materials allow lights from vehicles to bounce off them, enabling increased visibility at night. Studies have shown that wearing bright clothing including reflective materials in the dark can help drivers see you three-second sooner. Get your pupils to put their outwear on and turn the classroom lights off, take a picture to demonstrate how invisible they appear in the dark. Once they have used the reflective strips to accessorise their clothing, turn the lights off again. Demonstrate how reflective the materials appear by directing the light of a torch at the reflective strips – don’t forget to take a picture as evidence! The images below demonstrate how effective the reflective strips can be and the importance of being seen when trying to cross the road: This downloadable activity sheet allows your pupils to have a bit of fun whilst learning about the importance of road safety, it includes colouring-in activities and a word search as well as an additional opportunity to use the reflective materials. Teaching road safety tips The top five road safety tips for walking or cycling to school are: â‘ Plan a safe route, avoiding busy roads and stick to the pavement â‘¡ Walk with an adult and hold their hand when crossing the road â‘¢ Dress brightly to be seen by using reflective materials â‘£ Stop, look and listen out for cars ⑤ Find safe places to cross the road Sourcing other educational sources Additional educational resources on the importance of road safety can be found here: Chapter 8 – Road Safety On The School Run Road Safety Week – Event 18-24 November 2019 Brake – The Road Safety Charity Think – Department for Transport Road Safety Campaign ROSPA – cycle
Power Maths – The Pearson’s maths mastery resource
Power Maths Key Stage 1 and 2, the whole-class maths mastery programme from leading learning company Pearson, are both on the list of DfE expert panel recommended textbooks supporting teaching maths in England. Inspired by best-practice from around the world, Power Maths Key Stage 1 and 2 are the only mastery programme fully aligned to White Rose Maths progressions and schemes of learning. It has been written to comprehensively deliver the National Curriculum for KS1 & KS2 Mathematics, drawing on what works in UK classrooms to support every child’s journey to deeper maths understanding. The Power Maths Key Stage 1 & 2 textbooks, practice books and teacher guides are only the second set of resources to be officially certified as delivering a full mastery approach since Nick Gibb, the former School’s Minister, announced in 2016 that the mastery approach to maths commonly adopted in South East Asia, is set to become a standard fixture in England’s primary schools. Both Power Maths 1 & 2 are available for match funding Following their recommendation by an expert panel, the Power Maths Key Stage 1 & 2 resources will now be available for match funding as part of the Teaching for Mastery programme. Through this programme, the DfE is providing up to £2,000 match funding for selected schools* to invest in high-quality maths mastery resources. Tony Staneff, leader of the mastery team at White Rose Maths and Professor Jian Liu, who developed one of the most popular maths textbook programmes in China used by over 20 million children, are among the world-class experts and authors that produced the Pearson resources. In a bid to break the mould of traditional teaching and learning, Power Maths Key Stage 1 & 2 follow an exciting growth mindset and problem-solving approach where all children are empowered to succeed by working hard and progress together as a whole class by tackling the same concepts, at the same time. This approach combines fully embedded and ongoing professional development helping teachers to develop their own subject knowledge and pedagogical practice, with high-quality and immersive textbooks and interactive digital resources supporting teachers to successfully achieve deeper learning and understanding for every child. Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President, Schools, Pearson, said: “Following a rigorous approval process by the DfE’s expert panel, we are delighted that Power Maths Key Stage 1 & 2 have joined the list of recommended textbooks supporting the mastery approach. “We want to make every child a master of maths and we are dedicated to improving the confidence of teachers and children so this becomes a reality for all children. Power Maths Key Stage 1 & 2 are designed to spark a curiosity and excitement for maths learning, and equip children with the deep knowledge and skills they need on their maths mastery journey.” Speaking about the impact that Power Maths Key Stage 1 has had in their school in a review, John Dabell, primary teacher, trained Ofsted inspector and Teach Primary reviewer, said: “When schools teach healthy growth mindset mathematics, the outcome is that maths becomes deeper and is filled with more connections, so children enjoy it more and achieve at higher levels. This is the thinking behind Power Maths Key Stage 1, a mastery inspired programme fuelled by a positive ‘I can’ attitude. “Power Maths Key Stage 1 includes intellectually demanding and knowledge-rich resources with world-class content, ideas and support that combine powerfully to reduce workload. Power Maths Key Stage 1 impresses because it doesn’t dilute to taste. It is deliberately consistent and laser-sharp in its focus so that key vocabulary is learnt head-on, backed up with clear explanations.” Is Power Maths right for my school? For more information on Power Maths Key Stage 1, please visit: www.pearsonprimary.co.uk/powermathsmastery For further information on the list of recommended textbooks supporting teaching for mastery in maths, visit: mathshubs.org.uk About Pearson • Pearson is the world’s learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology• Our mission is to help people make progress through access to better learning. We believe that learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives• For more information, visit pearson.com or follow @pearson * These schools are participating in the Maths Hubs projects (Work Groups) led by Mastery Specialist teachers.
The award winning teaching and learning platform – CENTURY Tech
CENTURY Tech, a UK based education technology platform, tackles some of the biggest pain points in education by combining artificially intelligent technology, big data and cognitive neuroscience. With 1.3 million children underperforming in the UK (Ofsted, 2016) and 74% of teachers considering leaving the profession due to unmanageable workloads (TES, 2016), it is clear that the current education system is facing some serious challenges. CENTURY has been developed by teachers, students, parents, tech-engineers and neuroscientists with the purpose of improving education for all teachers and students. CENTURY’s revolutionary technology has resulted in them being a finalist at the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield. Priya Lakhani OBE, CENTURY Tech’s Founder CEO says, “At CENTURY, we are passionate about improving education. Our platform uses advanced technology that makes a real difference to both the teacher and student. I am thrilled that this has been recognised by TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield!†How CENTURY Tech works Students access learning the material through CENTURY. CENTURY hosts a multimedia library of content including, GCSE maths and English language, and maths and English Functional Skills, Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2, all of which is mapped to the curriculum. Teachers can also easily add their own subjects and content. Artificially intelligent technology then learns how each student learns, providing them with a personalised and adaptive learning journey, constant, formative assessments and instant feedback. All messages students receive are tailored to their experience and are grounded in cognitive neuroscience, designed to encourage a growth mindset and resilience. Teachers and SLT are presented with real-time actionable data that supports evidence-based teaching and reduces time spent on planning. By tracking homework, auto marking and finding resources, CENTURY reduces the admin burden faced by teachers. The deep insights presented to educators show their students achievement, knowledge, skills and performance against assessment objectives, identifying their strengths and indicating where interventions may be necessary. Who uses CENTURY Tech? CENTURY Tech is currently being used by more than 10,000 students, with several more secondary schools and colleges receiving their logins in January. CENTURY Tech is also a finalist for the BETT Awards and Learning Awards and Founder CEO, Priya Lakhani, recently won the Special Achievement Award at the Mayor’s Fund Awards. The platform that reduces workload & improves outcomes Feedback from current CENTURY teachers: “It’s great to have a diagnostic tool which accurately and constantly reflects what the student knows.†Headteacher “It’s really going to revolutionise the way we can teach.†Maths teacher Call CENTURY Tech today to discuss you needs on 0207 907 0893
The importance of workshops in the school environment
Workshops are extremely important in a school environment to promote pupils’ wellbeing and increase awareness of topics. Here, Richard Fitzgerald, the head teacher at Langdon Park School, discusses how workshops are valuable for students, staff and parents as well as highlighting how workshops in the future must become proactive by nature. Currently, in the UK, the picture of youths’ wellbeing and mental health remains patchy and overall quite bleak, with an estimated one in ten children estimated to have been clinically diagnosed with either a mental health disorder and/or emotional or behavioural problems, according to the BBC. Suicide remains one of the three most common causes of death amongst youngsters and the prominent rise of social media has allowed for new problems to emerge such as cyberbullying, which can, of course, contribute to emotional and mental health problems. It has been suggested that Government policy has not reflected the need to focus on children’s wellbeing especially with the removal of criteria from Ofsted reports to monitor how well schools promote students’ health or personal development. The London School of Economics has suggested that schools, in recent years, have been called to take up a ‘protective’ role that traditionally the families and communities have always undertaken. Finding the balance of this role can be tricky, yet one way in which schools can remain vigilant in promoting pupils’ wellbeing is through workshops that can be provided throughout the school terms. Workshops allow for key information to be distributed with support available if necessary, whilst also informing the traditional protectors of children (the families and communities) of the same information and support. All schools should share the same ethos that every child deserves to be happy, safe and successful at school. This can be the tone that permeates every aspect of school life and can be shown to be one of the key determinants of wellbeing and mental health in schools. Pupils who have better health have been shown to be better educated, so anything that can promote pupil wellbeing will benefit the pupil, family, community and ultimately the school itself as it provides an opportunity to improve the achievement levels of a pupil. This clearly highlights the need for workshops surrounding wellbeing and mental health in schools. Although many are present on a national level, it has been suggested that these are too reactive in their nature. They are addressing issues that have already emerged and often occur long after an issue has arisen within the school or in society. It is therefore important for schools to provide workshops of a preventative and/or proactive nature as the most effective interventions are those that take place early on. This is because they can help students, parents or teachers identify any issues and equally prevent or minimise the effects from escalating whether this is a mental health issue or bullying in the classroom. At Langdon Park School, we recognise the need for proactive workshops. We have held sessions surrounding mental health for both our pupils and parents as we are aware that early intervention and support networks can really help our community. From our recent mental health workshop, nearly three-quarters of pupils who had requested help for their mental health issues went to their teachers first. In addition to this, there was a significant number of parents making self-referrals to receive counselling. Workshops are important within school environments to promote wellbeing and happiness for our pupils, but also for raising awareness within the community in general. They provide the right guidance and advice to support everyone involved without taking away the ‘protective’ role which parents and the community are responsible for – they just provide the helping hand when needed.
T Levels – The Future of Technical Education in the UK
Educational services provider, NCFE’s Policy and Research Manager Michael Lemin, explains how the new technical qualifications, T Levels, will work, how they differ from existing qualifications and the benefits for young people. The Government’s new flagship technical qualifications, T Levels represent a significant change in how technical education is taught and studied in England. Designed for learners aged 16-18, these new qualifications will be equivalent to three A Levels. T Levels are being introduced to ensure that learners have access to well-respected vocational qualifications, as a credible alternative to A Levels. They are designed to create parity of esteem between academic and technical qualifications and ensure that the country has a world-class technical education system, developing students who can succeed in the modern economy and compete on a world stage. What are T Levels? The concept of T Levels was first introduced in the Post-16 Skills Plan published in July 2016. The idea behind the plan was that at 16, following their GCSEs, students would choose to study either an academic (A Levels) or technical (T Levels) route. It set out 15 pathways based on the recommendations set out in the Report of the Independent Panel on Technical Education led by Lord Sainsbury, which recommended grouping technical education options by the skills required to work in 15 different industries. Within the 15 occupational maps, 11 have T Levels planned with the remaining 4 routes intended to be delivered through apprenticeships. More than three years on, and after some initial setbacks, the first T Level qualifications are currently being developed by the chosen awarding organisations, including NCFE, in collaboration with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and Department for Education. The first courses are set to be offered from September 2020, with phased roll-out of all pathways to be completed by 2023. T Levels will be two-year programmes aimed at 16 to 18-year olds, each one is made up of a technical qualification (TQ) that integrates maths, English and digital skills, includes an industry placement of up to 50 days and an employer set project. They will also be awarded UCAS tariff points in line with 3 A Levels. The content of the technical qualification will be based on the same occupational standards as apprenticeships, with their content defined by employers. It is made of up core knowledge, and occupational specialisms, which allow the learner to follow their desired path. The technical qualification and assessment will be developed by an awarding organisation. At the end of the programme, the student will be able to enter skilled employment in a particular occupation or to continue to study that technical subject at a higher level. What does this mean for learners? The introduction of T Levels will significantly reshape the technical qualifications landscape at Level 3, with the Government set to concentrate resources on these new qualifications and potentially withdrawing funding from others. The DfE will be reviewing the qualifications it currently funds at Level 3 and below, with a view to streamlining this and has been consulting on the subject. T Levels will become one of three major options when a learner reaches Level 3, alongside apprenticeships and A levels. The first three T Levels, being launched in 2020, are: • Education and Childcare • Digital Production, Design and Development • Design, Surveying and Planning From September 2021 they will be offered in: • Digital Business Services • Digital support and services • Health • Healthcare Science • Science • Building Services Engineering and Onsite Construction There are a further two waves to be launched, in 2022 and 2023 respectively. These will offer an additional 15 pathways for young people to choose from. Where are T Levels being delivered? The providers for the first wave of T Levels were announced in early 2019 and depending on where you live in the country, the chance of having a T Level delivered in your region varies. These providers will play an important role in ensuring more young people across the country can access these courses and help develop the skilled workforce the country needs for the future. More than 100 further education providers will be delivering T Levels by 2021, with the recent announcement of a further 64 colleges having been chosen to deliver wave two. A list of providers can be found here: Wave One and Wave Two. More are expected to be announced in the future, for Wave Three and Wave Four. How are T Levels different? T Levels aim to prepare learners for careers in specific industries. They were designed by employers, who sat on T Level panels convened by the DfE developing the outline content, to ensure that students completing T Levels have the skills employers need and the knowledge and understanding to hit the ground running in their chosen profession. One of the key differences that sets them apart from other Level 3 qualifications though is the mandatory industry placement. How they can benefit young learners? The T Level has been designed to help young people “secure a lifetime of sustained skilled employment†and to “meet the needs of our growing and rapidly changing economy†according to the Government. Those young people who complete a T Level will have completed a substantial work placement, helping them to develop ‘on the job’ skills and hands-on experience that will make them well prepared for a successful career in their chosen profession and an asset to employers. A key part of the T Level assessment will be achieving ‘threshold competence’, which will provide evidence of achievement in work-specific skills that show learners can work and succeed in their chosen industry. They will also have a strong understanding of the realities of a job in their chosen sector that will help them to make the right choice regarding their next steps and ensuring that they chose the path that will help them to fulfil their potential. Learners who complete these new technical qualifications will have a range of options for further
My Magical Garden – Holistic Healing 4 Children
My Magical Garden is the basis of a technique that provides support and relief for children with anxiety, grief and challenging behaviour. It works in two ways; firstly, as a book on its own and secondly, as the basis for an Intervention Program and/or Guided Imagery Session As a book on its own, it helps to identify the emotional needs of a child and offers a fun, easy and non-invasive communication tool. The book is designed to help children understand and talk about their feelings. It guides the child through a series of choices allowing them to build a magical garden which empowers them to feel in control and to navigate through challenging situations. Additionally, the book provides an informative tool for parents or carers by offering them insights on how to help the child emotionally. Secondly My Magical Garden is a foundation for an Intervention Program, Workshop or Individual Session to be administered by a trained practitioner. During the session, the child is invited to create a safe place through the use of Imagination, Mindfulness and Guided Imagery. The children create an imaginary Magical Garden which provides an emotional safe place and once established they are provided with techniques that will help minimise anxiety, stress, pain or difficult feelings. The three main ingredients of the technique are: Imagination Imagination plays a number of important roles in mental health and can reduce anxiety and challenging emotions when used in a positive way. The imagination is very powerful. What a child thinks and imagines determines how they react to events in their lives. Since our brains can’t distinguish between real events and imagined ones it is a great tool to help promote relaxation and calm. Mindfulness Mindfulness is about being in the present moment. It is about taking notice of how you are feeling. Slowing down and focusing on the present in an easy and relaxed way. Mindfulness is becoming increasingly available in schools. Guided imagery It’s a relaxation technique that uses positive mental images to influence how you feel. It is a mind body intervention that involves the five senses. It can quickly calm the body and simultaneously relax the mind. In recent decades, there has been a rise in the scientific attention into the benefits of mindfulness. The number of randomized controlled trials involving mindfulness has jumped from one in1995?1997 to 11 from 2004?2006, to 216 from 2013?2015. A 2018 study conducted by Dr Joy Weydert into the benefits of Guided Imagery on children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain showed that a 67% reduction in pain was experienced during therapy. The trial concluded that the use of relaxation along with guided imagery is an effective and safe treatment for childhood Recurrent Abdominal Pain. Holmes Research in 2009, suggests that the use of positive imagination in our day to day life can reduce anxiety, increase positive affect, and be a buffer against depression My Magical Garden and its associated techniques provide benefits for the child, parents and the School. For the child, the garden reduces anxiety by providing a safe mental and emotional space. It will improve emotional wellbeing as the child will feel supported and this will increase their resilience and capacity to manage their emotions. Really importantly, it will provide the child with a means to communicate their feelings to parents and School staff, and therefore build a closer connection with their care provider. The benefits for the parents are similar, it gives them a way to support and understand their child and creates a stronger connection with the care provider. For the school this closer connection helps to give a better understanding for the child’s fears and anxieties leading to a calmer environment. The Magical Garden and associated techniques harness the child’s imagination in a positive and powerful way. It reduces the reliance on technology and screens to provide a distraction, but instead reconnects the child with their inner imagination, empowering them to learn how to help themselves. The book and techniques reduce the child’s sense of isolation by providing a fun communication tools to allow them to discuss their fears and concerns with their parents and the care providers. The Magical Garden provides a low cost, highly transportable and easy to learn technique to significantly reduce anxiety in a School setting. www.holistichealing4children.com
Climate change – through the eyes of our school children
Our younger generation is now more aware of the world’s environmental issues than ever before – especially around the subject of climate change and the effects of global warming on our planet. Greta Thunberg brought the issue even more to the forefront of their minds, leading the revolution when she walked out of school and organised a strike to raise awareness of climate change. It was proven just how much our school children care about their planet when on the 20th September 2019 millions of children around the world left their classrooms to follow her in a global climate change protest – it was the biggest ever! Our school children have become so passionate about the subject as it will be them who will be hit the hardest and will have to deal with the impact of global warming in the years to come. With this knowledge, here at QA Education, we want to share schoolchildren’s work from up and down the UK, giving their perspective on the effects of climate change and how they are tackling the issue within their schools and communities. Whether this is through poetry, posters, videos or in another medium, we will share their work here with you. School children’s work on climate change Plastic Pioneers from St Andrew’s Church of England High School in Worthing: “St Andrew’s entered a piece of art called ‘Man ‘O’ Waste’ in the 2019 Worthing Light Festival. The exhibition showcased a number of stunning, sustainable art installations that lit up using renewable energy on Worthing’s East Beach recently. There were over 35 entries that were judged by Ali Lapper MBE and a panel of experts and we were delighted to be awarded 1st place in our category. “As part of St Andrew’s Plastic Pioneer project we are looking at ways to reduce the use of single-use plastic in school, raising awareness about the environmental effects single-use plastics have and change behaviours whilst at the same time creating stimulating new experiences for our students. “St Andrew’s are building an environmental policy around the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. This will, in turn, save money and help ensure that any changes the school make have a positive environmental impact, improving the future of our planet and leaving our legacy for future generations to enjoy.” Plastic Pioneers from Monkspath Junior & Infant School in Solihull give advice on how to reduce, reuse and recycle: The Sustainers group from Acland Burghley, North London give their insight into climate change and sustainable living: Protest on Plastic – Rufus, a Year 7 pupil at Acland Burghley School in Camden, London: Would you like to be included? If you are a pupil or teacher and would like us to include yours or your pupils’ work above, send it over with the pupil’s name, school year and the name of their school. If your school has a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest account, please send those details too and we can tag you into our social media posts: follow @qaeducation!
Schools and Academies Show – November 2019
Schools and Academies Show – 13th-14th November The education sector remains under pressure and faces both new and long-standing challenges. Funding remains tight, inspection frameworks are changing, rates of disadvantage and high needs are increasing, all of which places more work on teachers and school staff. But there is opportunity too, with more solutions, providers, talent and expertise within the sector than ever before. There is also a new Secretary of State, with a background as a Governor and a TA as a wife, promising extra money and support in the coming months. To address these challenges and make the most of the opportunities, the Schools and Academies Show returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 13th-14th November, with a renewed focus on the key things that are important to the sector. Funding and income generation; Wellbeing & mental health, for both learners and teachers; SEND and the Curriculum will be central to the agenda of sessions across the expanded two days. Supporting staff is more crucial than ever, with the extra burdens on their time and greater demands being made of many. To reflect this, we have several case studies on the subject, as well as bringing the Wellbeing Demo Area to Birmingham. This dedicated area on the exhibition floor will showcase a range of classes, mini-presentations, demonstrations and talks aimed at senior school and education leaders with the purpose of tackling the growing mental health crisis and wider pupil health issues within the education sector. Stonewall, Food for Life, and The Teen Yoga Foundation, among other organisations, will all provide practical, free workshops for staff on things that they can implement day today. With policymakers continuing to drive change across the sector, we are proud to host the Government Education Village, returning once more in partnership with the DfE and ESFA, which will include as a new offer for Birmingham, demo sessions running throughout both days. This means that you will be able to explore in detail specific policies and make the most of their expertise and advice, with representatives from Schools Resource Management, Academies Funding, Finance, Educate Against Hate and The Apprenticeship Service. Sharing best practice and innovation is important to you, as it is to us, so we have arranged case study seminars in the main agenda on topics such as Opportunity Areas, Private/Maintained School Partnerships, EdTech Implementation and many more. Minister for the School System, Lord Agnew, will be delivering a speech to open the Show and a representation of the political opposition with education spokespeople from Labour, the Lib Dems and the Green Party offering competing alternative futures for education on Day 2. The Business & Finance Theatre will be packed with offerings from the DfE and ESFA as well as specialist case studies in income generation and procurement advice. We have partnered with Nasen to bring you the biggest ever SEND Theatre, alongside talks from Dr Adam Boddison the government’s independent advisor and founder of research ED Tom Bennett. Panels will debate Ofsted, the future of work, the curriculum, technology in schools, optimum school resource management and the sad rise of youth violence. We have brought together Public Health England, the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, a former young offender and parents to discuss this life-changing issue. New this year is the Charity Village. We recognise the huge contribution charities are making and the good work they are conducting within education. This interactive village of key organisations will provide the perfect opportunity for third sector organisations to showcase their work to you and foster collaboration between the two sectors. We will also offer new opportunities for networking. Key to this is our MAT Matchmaking Area, where roundtables comprised of MAT leaders will share their knowledge on specific issues, with each 45-minute session chaired by an expert. All MAT leaders and wider senior leadership teams that register for the Show will be offered the option to upgrade free of charge to a VIP ticket which will give them access. As ever, we are solutions-focussed, with expert providers such as Sage’s finance software, CENTURY Tech’s ground-breaking AI-powered tools which can improve student performance by 30% and cut teacher workload by 6 hours per week. For schools struggling with staffing, Randstad and Smile Education will be on hand with their specialised recruitment systems designed to give top-class support both inside and outside of the classroom. If your school is looking to expand, look no further than Maun Funding and Arcadis, experts in securing funding and delivering high-quality facilities. Classroom resources abound too, with such successes as Mighty Writer: a brand new, innovative and multisensory resource that transforms children’s literacy almost overnight. Join us for this and more at the Schools and Academies Show Birmingham on 13th-14th November at the NEC. Click here for full agenda and speakers list Click here for 5 brand new features onsite You can register for free to attend by clicking here