The Met Office launches programme for 7-14 years olds
The Met Office is launching a schools programme to help young people understand and prepare for the impact of weather and climate on their communities. This long-term investment in education brings to life the Met Office’s expertise and authority in world-leading science and meteorology through resources designed to improve young people’s engagement in maths, science, technology, the arts and humanities. “Weather and climate affect everything from the way we live, to what we eat, to our personal safety”, said Felicity Liggins education manager at the Met Office. “We want to help bring this context to life through our schools programme and help young people understand the wide-reaching impacts of weather and climate change locally and globally, for people, places and businesses.” The programme’s free set of curriculum-linked resources are based on insight from Met Office scientists and a cross-nation group of teachers who have created a suite of lesson plans and DIY summer activities. The resources focus on key themes including extreme weather, forecasting and prediction, technology and innovation in weather, weather and climate stories and people in weather and climate. New resources will continue to be added in the months and years to come. The Met Office has taken a fresh approach to cross-curricular learning by focusing on real-world examples that help young people draw connections through their lives and the world around them. This focus makes the lessons relevant and appropriate to a range of skills, and enables them to: Explore innovative data visualisation technologies and their use across industries Reflect on the ‘fake news’ agenda and understand the importance of reliable, credible sources of information within weather stories Demonstrate creativity through design tasks linked to weather prediction Discover the diverse, unexpected careers available in weather and climate Develop risk assessment strategies and skills to safeguard communities during extreme weather events “As well as being designed to help students develop transferable STEM skills such as spotting patterns in data, making informed decisions and communicating information to different audiences, they cover aspects of the core curriculum and bring each theme to life through fresh, fun and topical new contexts,” said Jenn McEwan, primary class teacher and panel member involved in co-developing the resources. “I am confident that the new perspective that these resources bring will support educators in communicating just how complex, vital and interesting both weather and climate prediction are. Consequently, this will encourage learners to explore career possibilities in this area.”
GroupBC To Support University Of Birmingham’s One Estate Initiative
GroupBC, one of the world’s leading digital project and asset information management platforms, is pleased to announce a new contract with the prestigious University of Birmingham. The University of Birmingham is in the midst of one of the most transformational campus redevelopments since the first phase of building was completed in 1909. The development programme, worth £1 billion as part of a 10 year investment starting in 2016, is creating outstanding new facilities for students, staff and the community. GroupBC’s involvement Due to the scope of this multifaceted programme, it was crucial for the University of Birmingham to employ a solution which would securely support delivery and transition from ideation to operation. The high-profile and demanding programme requires a world-leading solution to manage the university’s current and future built assets. The University of Birmingham undertook a G-Cloud tendering process, selecting GroupBC as it offers the leading Common Data Environment (CDE) solution. Speaking on GroupBC’s appointment, Wes Simmons, GroupBC’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with such an ambitious and informed organisation that is truly committed to digital transformation and BIM (Building Information Modelling) adoption.” A UK-owned and hosted CDE will ensure the University of Birmingham can access all documents, drawings, 3D Models and data regarding its assets from a single, secure platform. This will form the basis for its One Estate Initiative. The asset information management solution The University of Birmingham required a CDE and project management system within its Estates Office to improve project governance, portfolio and information management. Currently, project and asset information resides in multiple disparate legacy systems and is also held by the university’s external supply chain. With GroupBC’s assistance, the University of Birmingham is implementing a single system which can be utilised by the university, design teams and contractors to track and report upon milestones, changes and key decisions for project governance purposes. In effect, this will drive efficiency within its existing estate and the delivery of capital projects. It will also improve the delivery, visibility and control of important information and data across the department. It is also important that the university mitigates the risk of information loss in the event of a supplier dispute or insolvency during the design or construction phases, especially with such significant investment plans for the future. The implementation of a CDE will mitigate the above risks whilst at the same time substantially improving efficiency and availability of data for the university’s Estates Team. This new CDE will assure the safe storage and access of all data and is fully compliant with the university’s security requirements including ISO 27001, a specification for an information security management system. Commenting on behalf of the University of Birmingham, Trevor Payne, Director of Estates said: “The University of Birmingham is excited to be partnering with GroupBC, a sector leading provider for effective portfolio and project management solutions. The system will provide us with the foundation to open up our documentation and data, making it easier to link, interpret, find and manage information. Implementation of this initiative will deliver transformation of operation and service delivery, strengthening the University’s position as a world-leading institution.” About the University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham is one of the United Kingdom’s foremost research led institutions. Set in 230 acres of parkland campus in Edgbaston, the University has been leading the way since 1900 with internationally renowned research that influences the modern World. Birmingham ranks highly in the UK for research excellence; it is also one of the largest Universities in the UK with around 27,000 undergraduate students, including nearly 5000 international students from 147 countries worldwide and over 6,000 academic and support staff members. The University of Birmingham is one of the 24 Russell Group universities. They operate globally, attracting international students and academic staff from many different countries, they also have a strong role and influence within their regional and local community and are committed to the highest levels of academic excellence in both teaching and research. Russell Group universities make an enormous impact on the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of the United Kingdom. Birmingham has continued to be a university unafraid to do things a little differently, and in response to the challenges of the day. It was a founder member of the National Union of Students, the first university to be built on a campus model amongst other ambitious initiatives.
How edtech innovation is improving education
Pauric Surlis, Frameworks Relationship Manager KYOCERA Document Solutions UK, on the Government’s recent £10million investment in edtech. Anyone working in the education sector will be acutely aware of the pressure on teachers to provide high-quality learning, support and care to all students, with an ever-increasing administrative burden making it harder to deliver an engaging learning experience. Whether supporting GCSE pupils with exam preparation or guiding older students through the university application process, education staff need access to the best tools and technologies to minimise the amount of time they spend on administrative tasks. It was encouraging to see recently that the UK government is investing up to £10 million in edtech, as it clearly reflects a recognition of the important role that innovation can play in improving the learning experience for both teachers and students. However, this investment needs to focus on improving the underlying processes to reduce paperwork and enable teachers to devote more of their attention to their students. Easing teacher workload through edtech There is a clear need for the intelligent implementation of technology to reduce the amount of time spent on tedious, time-consuming processes which are adding such a significant workload to teachers, on top of their teaching hours. A 2018 survey from the National Education Union found that increases in teacher workloads are “harming the profession and therefore the education of our children”. In addition, 61% of teachers reported spending over 3 hours a day on tasks that do not involve teaching, including marking coursework, homework or tests, copying and scanning research documents and filling out documentation. Although these processes are necessary, they significantly reduce the time that teachers can spend preparing their lessons and supporting students. A prime example of a time-consuming process overdue for transformation through new technology is the copyright process. Currently, many teachers are required to manually fill out forms whenever they copy or scan copyrighted material that is then sent to the Copyright Licensing Agency, in what is a lengthy and tedious process. However, there are now apps which can digitally transform this process, ensuring that the necessary data goes straight to CLA. This is the kind of innovative technology that needs to be applied to a whole range of administrative processes to free up teachers’ time and help them focus on teaching. The key to the success of these initiatives is to remember that the technologies should not be overly complicated, they need to be intuitive, easy to use and support teachers to do what they do best: give a great learning experience to students. This approach could fundamentally raise standards across the sector and help to equip the UK education system for a brighter digital future. For more information on edtech and document solutions, see KYOCERA Document Solutions UK.
CLOSED – WIN five classroom books worth over £65
Thanks to publishers Featherstone, Bloomsbury and Button Books, we have five brand new classroom books to give away which will make a great addition to any primary school. The classroom books cover everything from PSHCE to gardening and span age ranges from Early Years to KS2. They are all brand new titles in the bookshops and have a combined value of over £65. The classroom books we have to give away to one lucky winner are: Winter of the Wolves, by Tony Bradman (£5.99, Bloomsbury) An Anglo-Saxon tale following Oslaf, who moves across the sea to Britannia to start a new life. Will Oslaf be as brave as the heroes in the tales he loves? 50 Fantastic Ideas for Developing Emotional Resilience, by (£10.99, Featherstone) This title provides short but snappy practical activities as starting points for practitioners to develop emotional resilience in the children they work with. Plant, Sow, Make & Grow by Esther Coombs (£12.99, Button Books) This book is all about getting growing with children and learning about the fun and rewards that brings – it’s full of interesting activities, information and all the mudtastic sense of achievement that eating homegrown veg creates. Teaching Children to Listen in the Early Years, by Liz Spooner and Jacqui Woodcock (£24.99, Featherstone) Written by specialist speech and language therapists Liz Spooner and Jacqui Woodcock, this book presents interventions to teach young children the rules of good listening and why they are important. Featuring photocopiable resources, assessments and teaching suggestions. What’s Going On Inside My Head? By Molly Potter (£10.99, Featherstone) This book helps parents and teachers to start conversations with children about positive mental health. With illustrations by Sarah Jennings to guide children through issues such as “thoughts that bother me” and “what can I do when someone upsets me?”. Youtube Vidoe: https://youtu.be/lq2dlOWlxVs To be in with a chance of winning the five classroom books, worth over £65, enter the Rafflecopter competition below. a Rafflecopter giveaway ***The administrator of this competition is QA Education Magazine (“administrator”). By participating in the competition, each Entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Administrator, which shall be final and binding in all respects. Administrator is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of Entries and the overall administration of the competition. Entrants should look solely to Administrator with any questions, comments or problems related to the Competition. Administrator may be reached by email at socialmedia@euromediaal.com during the Promotion Period. * This giveaway will close at 12.00am, 6th August 2019. * The prize is five classroom books worth over £65. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable. There is no cash alternative. * Open to UK residents aged 18 or over, excluding employees of the Administrator, the sponsor, their families and anyone else professionally connected with this promotion. * There is one compulsory entry which requests that to enter the competition you answer a question based on the classroom books. Additional entries are available. * The prize winner will be asked to provide their email address so that contact can be made to arrange prize delivery, and their name and county be published in the next issue of the magazine * By entering the competition, you grant the Administrator permission to add your details to the mailing list, share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the other competition Entities for the purpose of administration and prize fulfillment, including use in a publicly available Winners list. * Entries will only be accepted as instructed and any entrant that does not complete the qualifying requirements will be disqualified * The winners will be chosen using the random entry selector built into the widget. * The winners will be informed by email within 5 days of the closing date, and must respond within 5 days to claim their prize. If there is no response within the 5 days and new winner will be drawn at random. *This prize draw is governed by English law and the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with it. For further T&C and our privacy policy please see here Euromedia Associates Ltd: Privacy Policy https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/66331438/legal**
Essential School-Leaver Event Returns To Olympia London
With so many options available for school-leavers, deciding what to do next can be a daunting prospect. This autumn, What Career Live? and What University Live? returns to Olympia London to provide students, parents and teachers with the chance to explore over 100 apprenticeships and higher education options side-by-side. There will be expert advice at over 40 free presentations with topics ranging from degree apprenticeships and how to choose the right career path, to student finance and building positive mental health at university. Careers advisors will be on hand to give one-to-one advice to visitors and interactive features including a STEM Challenge, Buskers’ Corner and a Creative Hub will help to inspire students on their future career choices. Apprenticeships will be on offer from Warner Bros, Rothschild & Co, Deloitte, EY, Network Rail, Amazon, DSTL, Capgemini, Health Careers (NHS) and many more. Universities at the event include University of Liverpool, Brunel University, Aston University, Southampton University, University of Hull, Coventry University, University of Law and more. Amanda Knee, a parent and previous visitor comments: “This event was excellent for me as a parent who didn’t know what the next steps were for my 17 year old. There were so many different options to explore and investigate. Each one was well explained and very helpful to both myself and my son. I would recommend to every parent and child who doesn’t know what career path they wish to follow.” Entry is free for students, parents and school groups and tickets can be booked at www.whatcareerlive.co.uk
New online course to help music teachers inspire next generation
ABRSM partners with FutureLearn to provide an intensive teacher development course Becoming a Better Music Teacher is a free online course for teachers created by ABRSM and available through FutureLearn. The course is aimed at teachers who are beginning their teaching journey or wishing to refresh and refocus their teaching skills. It is now open for enrolment and will provide teachers with a strong foundation for effective music teaching. ABRSM is passionate about inspiring musical achievement and believes that music teachers play a vital role in leading and shaping their pupils’ musical journey. It offers a range of teacher support initiatives including teacher development and annual teacher conferences; and this latest partnership with FutureLearn represents a new expansion into e-learning. ABRSM’s Chief Executive, Michael Elliott said: ABRSM’s mission is to inspire achievement in music, and in recent years, it has experienced increasing global demand for the provision of training and support for music teachers. Our partnership with FutureLearn provides a new venture into online courses and its success will guide the further development of our teacher support offering. We trust all those enrolling on our FutureLearn course will enjoy the rich array of teaching support and materials prepared by our many contributors and will be keen to continue their journey of learning and discovery in association with ABRSM and its many partners around the world. Enrolment for ABRSM’s Becoming a Better Music Teacher is now open. The online course has been developed to inspire effective music teaching and musical progression. Commencing on Monday 10 June, it will cover five key areas of teaching practice including: Teaching and Learning Principles; Core Musical Skills; and Professional Values and Practice. The course is focused towards teachers’ professional development and includes: how to develop your own teaching philosophy, explore the basis for motivation and how motivation is linked to progression, and design individual learning plans for pupils. Nigel Smith, MD of Courses and Learning at FutureLearn, said, “Learning to play a musical instrument or sing is a life-enriching experience, and we’re delighted to be partnering with ABRSM to help music teachers be as effective as possible. Few subjects have such capacity to inspire all, regardless of ability or age, and we’re happy to be providing teachers with the tools they need to be inspirational.” ABRSM is excited to be able to offer this course in partnership with FutureLearn. FutureLearn has partnered with some of the world’s most renowned universities and institutions and ABRSM’s Becoming a Better Music Teacher is part of their continued commitment to teacher support. Enrol today
Innovative £320k development aids pupils’ wellbeing
School children in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy to enclose what was previously an open courtyard, Access North Build has made waves within the education sector with its industry-first solution. Yorkshire-headquartered Access North Build designed, developed and installed a pioneering solution, a lightweight steel space frame – the first of its kind supporting an ETFE membrane in the UK – erected to span the quad, thus enclosing the area beneath. Alsager School site manager, Matt Harris, explained: “Fresh air plays a pivotal part in the wellbeing and health of people of all ages. Creating a space which allows students to ‘go outside’ while providing protection from the elements – including rain and solar shielding – is key to supporting their development.” Engineered to carry more weight over a greater area – in order to provide plenty of natural light and promote student wellbeing – the greatest challenge was the location and layout of the outdoor space, which was enclosed by existing buildings on all sides. As a result, the superstructure – which is over 400 square feet in size – had to be assembled in the school car park before being carefully manoeuvred over the establishment and precisely into position on the pre-installed locating bolts. Access North Group managing director, Berenice Northcott added: “This type of ETFE enclosure provides an extremely beneficial space for organisations within the education sector where student wellbeing is crucial. Additionally, the new ETFE canopy has a design life of 70 years providing it is regularly maintained, but if the time comes when it is no longer required, the ETFE membrane and steel space frame are recyclable, extending the environmental-friendliness of the build with the circular economy in mind. “We relished the challenges of this particular project. Craning a huge space frame over a school and courtyard – which was bordered on all sides – without damaging buildings or people, was a testament to the planning, organisation and attention to detail of the team. The new roof has transformed a previously under-utilised area into a light and airy multifunctional space, resulting in a positive impact on staff and pupils.”
Only 15% Of New Schools Built With Sprinklers
By Iain Cox, Chair of the BSA Of the 673 new schools built and open under the government’s flagship school programme, only 105 were fitted with sprinklers. With hundreds of schools in the UK having a fire each year, this alarming statistic once again only emphasises that money spent on dealing with the aftermath of fires should be being spent on sprinklers. The BSA shares the concerns of Labour MP and former teacher Stephanie Peacock who said: “The ridiculous thing is that we spend far more rebuilding and repairing schools after fires than we would have paid to install sprinklers in the first place.” School fires have a devastating impact on both a school and a community. Measures such as sprinklers drastically reduce the amount of damage done when there is a fire, and enable schools to get up-and-running quickly, reducing the cost, both economically and socially, to the public. On the 24th April, the Selsey Academy opened the doors to its rebuilt premises after a fire devastated the original, unsprinklered school in August 2016. In the interim, pupils were taught in temporary classrooms in four locations in the Selsey area and then temporary school portable cabins until the new school was completed. Sadly, the trust that runs it has confirmed the new school has been rebuilt without sprinklers. Commenting on the lack of sprinklers in schools, Iain Cox, Chairman of the BSA, said: “This is another case of value engineering, where the cost of installing sprinklers has been cut out without any idea of the potential impact. Surely, it is better to protect the asset, so you won’t have disruption and the lost opportunity?” Ensuring the safety of a building’s occupants is considered the bare minimum under current regulations, but it is clearly not the optimal outcome. A sprinkler system would serve to protect both the occupants and the building, allowing students to return to normality far more rapidly and with considerably less disruption to teachers’ already hectic schedules. Furthermore, the Association of British Insurers says the most expensive school fires typically cost around £2.8 million to address, and over the past four years an average 24 of these large-loss fires have occurred every year, totalling £67.2 million. Currently, sprinklers are mandatory in new school buildings in Scotland and Wales, but not in England and Northern Ireland. The government advises that even a single missed day of education can have significant effects on future exam results. The installation of sprinklers could limit the damage from fire; significantly reducing the potential disruption to the students’ school life. The same misconceptions about cost and the impact of disruption can be seen across the commercial and industrial sector. The BSA is calling for better education on the substantial benefits that fire sprinklers can deliver to the business community and wider economy. Fire does not discriminate; whether it is a school, a car park a warehouse or an office, fires happen on a regular basis. However, they can be contained and extinguished by systems such as sprinklers to ensure that life is not put at risk and businesses, jobs and the economy are protected. For more information about the Business Sprinkler Alliance visit www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org
Only 15% Of New Schools Built With Sprinklers
By Iain Cox, Chair of the BSA Of the 673 new schools built and open under the government’s flagship school programme, only 105 were fitted with sprinklers. With hundreds of schools in the UK having a fire each year, this alarming statistic once again only emphasises that money spent on dealing with the aftermath of fires should be being spent on sprinklers. The BSA shares the concerns of Labour MP and former teacher Stephanie Peacock who said: “The ridiculous thing is that we spend far more rebuilding and repairing schools after fires than we would have paid to install sprinklers in the first place.” School fires have a devastating impact on both a school and a community. Measures such as sprinklers drastically reduce the amount of damage done when there is a fire, and enable schools to get up-and-running quickly, reducing the cost, both economically and socially, to the public. On the 24th April, the Selsey Academy opened the doors to its rebuilt premises after a fire devastated the original, unsprinklered school in August 2016. In the interim, pupils were taught in temporary classrooms in four locations in the Selsey area and then temporary school portakabins until the new school was completed. Sadly, the trust that runs it has confirmed the new school has been rebuilt without sprinklers. Commenting on the lack of sprinklers in schools, Iain Cox, Chairman of the BSA, said: “This is another case of value engineering, where the cost of installing sprinklers has been cut out without any idea of the potential impact. Surely, it is better to protect the asset, so you won’t have disruption and the lost opportunity?” Ensuring the safety of a building’s occupants is considered the bare minimum under current regulations, but it is clearly not the optimal outcome. A sprinkler system would serve to protect both the occupants and the building, allowing students to return to normality far more rapidly and with considerably less disruption to teachers’ already hectic schedules. Furthermore, the Association of British Insurers says the most expensive school fires typically cost around £2.8 million to address, and over the past four years an average 24 of these large-loss fires have occurred every year, totalling £67.2 million. Currently, sprinklers are mandatory in new school buildings in Scotland and Wales, but not in England and Northern Ireland. The government advises that even a single missed day of education can have significant effects on future exam results. The installation of sprinklers could limit the damage from fire; significantly reducing the potential disruption to the students’ school life. The same misconceptions about cost and the impact of disruption can be seen across the commercial and industrial sector. The BSA is calling for better education on the substantial benefits that fire sprinklers can deliver to the business community and wider economy. Fire does not discriminate; whether it is a school, a car park a warehouse or an office, fires happen on a regular basis. However, they can be contained and extinguished by systems such as sprinklers to ensure that life is not put at risk and businesses, jobs and the economy are protected. For more information about the Business Sprinkler Alliance visit www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org