Outstanding school to become first Academy in Frank Field Education Trust
Wilmslow Grange Community Primary School in Handforth, Cheshire, has been approved to become the lead school in the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET). FFET is chaired by well-respected, long standing local MP for Birkenhead and champion of social justice, Frank Field MP. Its ethos is to promote social justice through outstanding educational provision to improve the life chances of all children and young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that they fulfil their potential. Wilmslow Grange will become the first Academy in and is rated Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted. Its results are amongst the top-1000 in the country with a national profile for curriculum development and the inclusion of pupils with Autistic Spectrum Condition and other Special Educational Needs. Wilmslow Grange staff will assist schools that subsequently join FFET with this expertise. It is anticipated that FFET will be announcing the conversion of subsequent Outstanding schools imminently. Tom Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of FFET, said, “We welcome Wilmslow Grange joining FFET. We are honoured that such an Outstanding school should become the Lead school in our Trust and we look forward to them supporting subsequent schools to offer exciting, high-achieving curricula whilst retaining an inclusive ethos.” Mark Unwin, Headteacher of Wilmslow Grange, said, “We are very pleased to be joining the Frank Field Education Trust and find that their high-expectations and desire for a rich, exciting educational experience for all children accords very closely with our own. We believe that our expertise can assist schools within the Trust and promote social justice for the most disadvantaged schools and families in the North West in line with FFET’s vision and we look forward to an exciting next stage of development for Wilmslow Grange.” About the Frank Field Education Trust The Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) is chaired by well-respected, long standing local MP for Birkenhead and long-term champion of social justice, Frank Field MP. The Trust’s ethos is in line with that of Frank himself; it will promote social justice through outstanding educational provision to improve the life chances of all children and young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that they fulfil their potential. FFET welcomes schools sharing this ethos to join the Trust and hopes a number will do so over the course of this academic year, with all growth carefully managed and in the best interest of pupils. For more information on the Frank Field Education Trust school, see wilmslowgrange.cheshire.sch.uk
New look Quizalize automates differentiated learning
New look Quizalize provides students with support and extension activities after they finish quizzes, plus these are tailored to their level of understanding and is sent directly to their devices. Quizalize, the award winning gamified formative assessment tool from UK edtech company Zzish – known for its real-time teacher dashboards, has optimised the programme to make it easier for teachers to differentiate their teaching and, for the first time, measure the precise effectiveness of teaching resources at improving student mastery of topics. Both Quizalize and Zzish was created by former Google product manager Charles Wiles, who has a PhD in AI from Cambridge University, and who was inspired to quit his day job and develop the platform five years ago when his teenage son was struggling at school in the bottom sets. Mixed ability learning made easy Teachers’ unsustainable workloads have made headline news for many years, with previous research showing that over 70% of primary and secondary school teachers have pulled ‘all nighters’ to prepare for lessons. The difficulties in teachers sustaining mixed ability or ‘differentiated learning’ methods tailored to each individual student’s needs have also been discussed among professional communities on influential teacher platforms, with lack of time cited as the main problem for successful implementation. Quizalize’s parent company, Zzish, has now optimised the programme’s “Virtual Teaching Assistant” capabilities to automate the processes for differentiated learning. It is expected to significantly save teachers’ time on lesson preparation, results analysis and management of tailored, mastery-based exercises. As well as the capability to identify instantly “who needs help, what they need help with, and how they can be helped” – teachers can now also pre-assign tailored follow-up exercises once students have completed an interactive game or assessment that measures their mastery of a topic. These assessments come as two interactive games – a basketball game called HOOPS and a First To Reach The Flag game. Depending on how students perform on completion of the interactive assessment, these pre-assigned follow-up activities set by the teacher are automatically activated to reinforce mastery over subjects. Levels of mastery are divided into three bands: those achieving 50% or less in the test; those achieving 50-80%, and those achieving over 80%. These pre-assigned follow-up activities can contain links to learning resources, such as tutorial videos on YouTube, practice resources such as PDF worksheets, and extension resources, such as pages on web sites explaining advanced concepts. Each help students at different levels progress and reach the next level of mastery. After students have used or completed the follow-up activity, they are then automatically re-quizzed with the same interactive game in order to measure their new mastery levels and the system then updates data on the effectiveness of each resource in improving learning. Measuring effectiveness of learning resources When assigning differentiated follow-up activities, the integrated search engine provides recommendations for the most effective learning resources for each level of student mastery. The system learns and improves its recommendations as more and more teachers use it, particularly highlighting used resources that have proven to have a high ‘improvement efficacy’ in students. As other teachers in the Quizalize community use specific resources to improve the mastery levels of their students, data is aggregated and the system calculates and provides a predicted percentage improvement in student scores that each resource will deliver when used with students of a particular mastery level. Post-assessment Quizalize also gives multiple views and performance breakdowns on both a class and individual basis using simple bar charts. The views have titles such as “who needs help” and “what they need help with” making It easy for teachers to get the insight they need in real-time so they don’t need to print or download anything if they don’t want to. All the data is safe in the cloud. Charles Wiles, founder of Zzish and Quizalize commented: “Differentiated instruction endeavours to address the individual needs and abilities of every student in a group so that everyone has the best chance of learning. That’s great in theory, but in practice we hear that teachers are struggling to implement this because they crucially lack time. By optimising the capabilities of our Zzish Hub “Virtual Teaching Assistant” that powers Quizalize, we have streamlined this process and automated it so that any assessment app, including Quizalize, can be genuinely useful to teachers on both the lesson preparation, grading and mastery front.” He continued: “We are the first platform to measure “improvement efficacy” of learning resources, and the first platform to measure resource efficacy for students grouped into different levels of mastery. We believe this will help teachers make better decisions around which resources to use for differentiated learning, and it will also drive the quality of resources for teaching and learning to a higher level. We will continue our work to incorporate AI into our systems in order to improve the platform’s predictions of “improvement efficacy”, further refining our predictions for how each individual student will improve for each learning resource.” Zzish’s technology is part of the real-time formative assessment movement – a new generation of edtech that works in the classroom itself allowing teachers to make more effective and more timely interventions. The Zzish Hub “Virtual Teaching Assistant” is a universal platform and gives any digital educational application that ‘plugs in’ the ability to provide teachers with real-time insight into student and class performance. Moreover its efficacy based recommendations helps teachers quickly discover the best apps and resources. Such technology is finally demonstrating the power of edtech and has been proven to improve end of year assessment scores by 10% in six months in a group of grade 6 science students in the US. Today, 125,000 teachers and 2 million students have signed up to Quizalize. Quizalize was a finalist in the Teach Secondary’s Technology & Innovation Awards 2016 for its role in improving standards of teaching and learning at Key Stages 3 and 4 during the 2015/16 academic year. It is also a finalist in last year’s E-Assessment Awards for Best Use Of Formative Assessment and was selected by the
How to write CVs for teachers – With CV Template
Caroline Cafferty, Operations Director at justteachers – specialists in matching school staffing needs with the best available teachers, teaching assistants and SEN staff – gives her top tips on how to create a winning CV and write an excellent personal statement to support an application. Competition for teaching jobs is fierce! Many teachers do not realise that an effective CV can make the difference between being shortlisted for the job of their dreams and not making it past the first stage of recruitment. Often NQTs and graduating teachers struggle the most because they may have not written a CV before and they feel they do not have enough experience to make their CV stand out – but this certainly is not the case as schools and agencies always need new recruits. By following these guidelines you can ensure you are giving yourself the best possible chance of success. An application form is simply not enough to get you noticed. Having a teaching CV will enable you not only to sell yourself but to market yourself actively to schools, agencies and potential employers. It also requires relatively little time investment – great while you are still completing your studies, or already busy working full-time. You need a dedicated teaching CV because: • It will draw out your experience to date, what your achievements have been, what you have accomplished and where you have developed and improved over time • You can market yourself to prospective schools and agencies quickly • You can set yourself apart from other applications – it is your chance to shine! • As a graduating teacher, you can actively seek employment before you graduate by sending your CV to agencies who are constantly proactively searching for suitable teaching candidates • A dedicated teaching CV can increase your chances of securing the position you want • It will enable you to attend recruitment agency events throughout the year, allowing you to meet with several hiring schools in one evening CV writing top tips for teachers Follow these basic tips to ensure your CV stands out: Font – you may love Comic Sans 16 and think you’ll stand out but your future employers won’t. It is recommended to use Times New Roman for hard copies and Arial for electronic copies. Use the same font throughout your CV and only use black. Go easy on bold and italics – use bold for section headings and italics for job titles. Make sure your formatting is consistent and, above all, easy to read. Length – it should be no more than two pages. Remember always to be truthful and honest but in a concise and interesting manner. Punctuation and grammar – This is the most straightforward step yet easy to slip up on. Do not be complacent, and make sure you and a friend proofread your CV before sending it to a school or teaching agency. What to remember when writing a CV for a teaching position • When writing a CV you should put yourself in the hirer’s shoes; does your CV confirm you are qualified to fulfil the job? Does your experience meet the job specification? Most importantly, will the person reading it want to find out more by inviting you to interview? • Many education staffing agencies will provide free support with writing and updating your CV as your career develops. What sections to include in your teaching CV Personal Statement When writing your CV it is important to include a personal statement. This will allow you to personalise your message to prospective schools or agencies. Agencies often have excellent knowledge of local schools and existing relationships with head teachers so will be able to advise you on how best to tailor your personal statement to a specific school or role. It should be no more than one short paragraph so do not try to fit in everything that you have studied or all your achievements. • Have your personal statement proofread to ensure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes • Tell the school what skills and extracurricular opportunities you can you bring • Show you have a passion for teaching • Briefly give evidence of your teaching successes, where you bring added value and, if applicable, where you have helped raise attainment • Teaching Qualification – This is typically a PGCE or Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) state your start and finish dates, the college or university where you are studying and, if relevant, a brief overview of the course. • Degree – if you have studied another subject then provide details in the same way as your teaching qualification and link the degree to relevant aspects of teaching. • Additional qualifications – only include recent qualifications that are relevant to the role. Career Summary State the roles, schools and dates in your employment history, regardless of your level of experience. Provide a brief summary of specific teaching responsibilities, and highlight achievements and any extra responsibility you were given and extra-curricular activities you undertook. If relevant, include any techniques and methods you used to teach and control your class effectively. References In line with the Department of Education’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, you will need to supply two referees. One of these must be from your most recent teaching post or placement. Make sure you inform your referees that they will be contacted. Aside from being polite, it will ensure that they are returned in a timely manner. Make sure you also include the following in your application: • Any other teaching experience (e.g. sports coaching, summer camps or youth groups) • Relevant voluntary experience • Any interests you may have that are relevant to teaching • Skills that will be useful in the role (e.g. leadership, IT and languages) Get your free CV template from justteachers. About justteachers justteachers is a leading supplier of teachers, nursery nurses and support staff into schools, colleges and nurseries nationwide. Its continued expansion reflects the high level of service it
Secondary state schools ‘excessively dominated by male headteachers’
Only 38% of headteachers at state secondary schools in England are women, despite the majority of teachers at those schools being female. The Oxford Open Learning Trust researched official statistics from the Department for Education, which show that 63% of all teaching staff in English state funded secondary schools are female – including headteachers. Despite this, just 1,400 of England’s 3,700 state secondary schools and academies are headed by women. The gender ratio for all secondary school teaching staff in England suggests that this should instead be closer to 2,330 female headteachers. Primary state schools, both local authority maintained and academies, have many more women at the helm with 73% – though the primary school teaching workforce is 85% female. Brian Crosby, CEO of the Hope Learning Trust in York, which runs several primary and secondary schools, said: “It is a waste of our most valuable resource not to see female colleagues develop into leadership at a rate comparable with male colleagues. In Hope’s secondary schools we have five out of the eight senior positions held by female colleagues, but this should be mirrored across the country. “There are two main reason why, at secondary level, the number of female colleagues coming forward for headship is below the percentage for men. The first is maternity care. I have experience of asking female colleagues to apply for a position but been told they are about to start a family and do not want the responsibility at this moment in time. I have also recently experienced colleagues resigning from positions of responsibility because of home pressures. “The second is a lack of confidence that they can take the next step. It is sloppy to make generalisations, but male colleagues will often apply for something they are not ready for, whereas female colleagues need to be sure they can carry out the role. The work of groups such as Women into Education is addressing this issue and preparing women for the next step.” He added that there are points that schools themselves should begin to work to, in order to address the balance: “While in my Trust we have two male and five female schools leaders, we have talent spotted female colleagues who should be given an opportunity to progress to the next level. We also have provided mentoring and opportunities to allow colleagues to progress in a supportive environment. “Meanwhile, women with ambitions to become headteachers could benefit from an opportunity to act up to a position in a supportive environment before making the final decision whether to commit to the role. We cannot allow talented women not to fulfil their potential.” Dr Nick Smith, courses director and founder of the Oxford Open Learning Trust, said: “It is startling to see that the difference is so distinct, and that secondary state schools are so excessively dominated by male headteachers in what is a slightly female-biased workforce. “Many people who study with us come to secure an extra GCSE so that they can then study for a PGCE to become a teacher. Many will eventually strive to become headteachers. “If ambitious women in education feel that the tide is against them at this early stage, I don’t doubt that it hampers the quality of our education system very severely in the long term.” For more advice for female teachers and schools from Brian Crosby, as well as further analysis of the statistics from the Department for Education, visit https://www.ool.co.uk/blog/gender-diversity-in-schools/.
Bett and Learnit collaborate to gather global education professionals
Bett, the world’s oldest and largest EdTech exhibition, today announces a collaboration with Learnit, the brand new, venture-backed conference for the global learning ecosystem. This January, a group of Bett’s 35,000+ visitors, 200+ speakers and 850+ exhibitors will also be able to participate in Learnit at the QEII Centre in Westminster as one of its 1,000+ attendees, 150+ speakers, or 50+ sponsors. Rachel Brodie, Portfolio Director of Bett said, “Bett is the must-attend show for EdTech: for knowledge, for products, for networking, for suppliers, for learning and for the global education community. Learnit is where the global learning ecosystem goes for a conversation about the current state and future of learning. The significance and impact of both of these eventsis clear; they bring people together who believe education can change the world.That’s why we’re excited to welcome Learnit to London in the same week as Bett.” Katy Fryatt, Founder & CEO of Learnit said, “Change has never been this fast. The conversation and community at Learnit will explore what this means for learning at every age. Learnit welcomes government, educator leaders, heads of talent & training, startups, tech companies, investors and media from across the globe. Bett has long been the world’s largest and most important global EdTech gathering. It’s a fantastic place for teachers to see and experience the latest advances in education technology. We’re very excited to collaborate with Bett.” Before joining Bett, Rachel was an education publisher at Macmillan and also spent time teaching in Mexico City. Katy and Rachel spent a brief time working together on Bett in 2015. Katy spent the last three years working for Anil Aggarwal building Europe’s largest fintech and retail innovation conferences (Money20/20 Europe and Shoptalk Europe). Anil is a venture-backed tech entrepreneur with exits to companies including Google. He also joins Learnit as its Chairman and Co-Founder. “It’s time to rethink learning,” said Anil. “Our global education systems have been built on legacy. Learnit will celebrate the revolutionaries driving change in education and create an entirely new experience for the global learning ecosystem.” Bett will continue to take place at the ExCeL Centre, in east London, welcoming visitors from January 23 – 26, 2019. Learnit will take place in Westminster at the QEII Centre and Central Hall, from the evening of January 23 – 25, 2019. Visitors can register for Bett at www.bettshow.com and tickets for Learnit can be purchased here. Code QA100 gets readers £100 off general tickets at Learnit! About Bett Bett is the UK’s leading cross-sector education community. Every year Bett brings together 850 leading companies, 100 EdTech start-ups and over 35,000 learners and educators from around the globe. Bett’s mission is to bring together people, ideas, practices and technologies so that educators and learners can fulfil their potential. About Learnit At Learnit, we believe an event that unites the global learning community and leads an intellectually honest conversation about the current state and future of learning, can revolutionise education, and ultimately change the world. The Learnit community is inclusive, disruptive, bold and brave. It encompasses the entire learning ecosystem – from government, educators, corporates and established solution providers to tech startups, investors and media. It is united by a common goal to improve education outcomes globally. Learnit’s conversation is open and honest. It’s a conversation about how to give everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity or wealth, the opportunity to reach their greatest potential in a rapidly evolving world. It is untethered by legacy, politics or geography. Learnit’s 150+ international speakers are selected based on merit, not pay-to-play.
Evac+Chair launches guide to emergency evacuation for educational premises
To ensure schools, colleges, universities and academies are fully-equipped with the knowledge to evacuate safely, Evac+Chair has launched: A Specialist Guide to Emergency Evacuation for Educational Premises. Exploring emergency evacuation procedures in educational facilities, the guide is aimed at headteachers, principals, governors, vice-chancellors, facilities managers, occupiers and owners of educational premises. The report looks at who is responsible in an emergency evacuation, what to do in an emergency, who requires specific emergency evacuation training and how to ensure mobility-impaired pupils are evacuated safely from any education environment. Gerard Wallace, managing director at Evac+Chair said, “We’ve been manufacturing evacuation chairs for 35 years, so we believe many of those responsible for evacuating educational establishments might value a simple but specific guide as to what measures needs to be in place in case of an emergency in an educational facility. “Schools and universities often have hundreds or even thousands of people in them at one time, a significant number of whom may be mobility-impaired and therefore the principal and nominated staff need to know the right procedures for the right people. This is where our guide comes in. “Our new education guide gives precise advice to help minimise the risks in any school, university, college or academy in an emergency situation.” It’s proven that knowing what to do in an emergency saves lives and prevents extreme circumstances going from bad to worse. More so, being able to accommodate anyone regardless of their mobility issues is of growing importance for inclusivity in educational facilities. To improve student, visitor and staff safety at your own facilities, download your copy of the guide today from the Evac+Chair website: www.evacchair.co.uk/a-guide-to-ensure-schools-and-universities-are-educated-in-safe-emergency-evacuation/ Educators responsible for school safety need to understand emergency evacuation procedures. Staff employed in any educational premises must know their role in an emergency and be well-educated to ensure everyone is evacuated safely from a building. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 emphasises risk reduction and fire prevention. Managing fire risks within your school and providing an evacuation plan to all staff, pupils and visitors are legal requirements of the Fire Safety Order.The main rules under the order are that workplaces, including schools and other educational institutions, must carry out a fire risk assessment, identifying possible dangers and consider those who may be especially at risk. The Fire Safety Order is clear – the ‘responsible person’ needs to ensure everyoneis evacuated safely during an emergency. Who is the responsible person? In an educational establishment, the ‘responsible person’ could be the headteacher, the principal, chancellor, president, vice-chancellor, master or the board of governors. In schools maintained by the local authority, the ultimate responsibility for fire safety lies with the council but duties can be delegated. Alongside the ‘responsible person’, schools, colleges and universities should enlist fire wardens and management to deploy regular co-ordinated practice sessions including practice with relevant equipment to ensure vital skill sets do not diminish. Specific drills should also be conducted with a reduced number of staff and students in order to be prepared for an emergency taking place outside normal working hours. The safe evacuation of the school is not the responsibility of the fire service. Your education establishment’s procedure should clearly set out which members of staff are responsible for students and which are responsible for checking different areas during an evacuation. Specialist equipment Evacuation chairs are proven to be the most efficient and user-friendly aids in emergencies, enabling the operator and passenger to safely exit the building. Due to more than one person possibly needing assistance, other types of evacuation products may be required such as slide sheets, rescue mats or stretchers in addition to evacuation chairs. All evacuation aids must be located in a designated refuge point which is specified in the building’s fire strategy. Each fire exit must accommodate the able-bodied and mobility-impaired so all equipment must be readily available and accessible at the refuge point. The responsible person and specific individuals who will assist the mobility-impaired during an evacuation, are fully trained to use Evac+Chairs by Evac+Chair’s specialist trainers. This training is to one of two standards: dedicated operator or key trainer. Royal Latin School in Buckinghamshire Case Study – Problem Royal Latin School identified the need for additional emergency evacuation aid for mobility-impaired students, staff and visitors. Solution The school installed 15 Evac+Chairs to ensure safe escape routes for everyone as well as providing key members of staff with Evac+Chair’s servicing maintenance programme and training. Results Debbie Donoghue, premises manager at the Royal Latin School, said: “The safety of our pupils, staff and visitors is paramount and having the confidence that we have the highest-quality safety apparatus in the event of an emergency is crucial. Lifts should not be used in the event of a fire or other emergencies and, for some, this could cut off exits from our building. The school’s investment in installing 15 evacuation chairs will ensure a safe escape route for everyone. “The more people who are trained in using the Evac+Chair the better as this will minimise risk and improve accessibility. Regular servicing and ongoing maintenance provided by Evac+Chair ensures compliance with key legislation and will also ensure that the apparatus is kept in good working order. It is extremely reassuring to know that, should we require it, we have the necessary equipment and skills to potentially save lives.” To improve student, visitor and staff safety at your own facilities, call 0121 706 6744 if you’re interested in a free site survey from one of our specialist team. Evac Chair – Full Film with new logo 061017 (1) from Louise Monk on Vimeo.
Fire safety in schools: a guide
Ashfords legal, professional and regulatory services experts offer advice on how to keep your pupils safe in the event of a fire, and what to do to ensure you are meeting regulations on fire safety in schools… Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June last year, the importance of fire safety systems has come in to focus. One sector reviewing this area is education. Many school buildings have cladding which is not fire resistant and contains asbestos. Often, schools are not fitted with sprinkler systems. Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, recently announced that a future Labour government will put sprinkler systems in all new school buildings and pay to remove asbestos and flammable cladding from existing sites. This commitment forms part of a £14 billion capital investment pledged by Labour, which the party claims will “bring all schools up to a good standard”. In addition, the government has been forced to review the guidance on sprinklers in schools having previously claimed that additional spending on sprinklers would outweigh any savings in preventing damage to school buildings. The guidance was previously the subject of a consultation in August 2016 which proposed changes to its wording. The changes were notable as they removed the expectation that most new school buildings would be fitted with sprinklers. Despite criticism of the changes suggested in the consultation, the government insisted the recommendation was only a change of language, not of actual rules governing sprinkler installation. However, figures released recently by School’s Week revealed that of the 260 schools rebuilt as part of phase one of the government’s priority school building programme, just 74 have, or are planned to have, sprinklers fitted. Furthermore, according to David Amess, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for fire safety, since 2010 the proportion of new school buildings installing sprinkler systems has plummeted from 70 per cent to 35 per cent. Requirements for fire safety in schools: Schools are required 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. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) fire legislation has become simplified. The Department for Communities and Local Government has produced a guide for schools – fire safety risk assessment: educational premises. The guide deals with the provision and management of fire safety. You will need to: ensure procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of fire; maintain fire detection and alarm systems; ensure staff and pupils are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures; and calculate the numbers of persons likely to be in any areas of assembly and ensure your exit capacities are sufficient for those numbers. It is important that: fire risk assessments are kept up to date; and fire precautions remain current and adequate (they should be reviewed in detail when significant alterations are made to a school’s premises). Ashfords is a national provider of legal, professional and regulatory services. If you require support in relation to fire safety or further information please contact a member of Ashfords’ Regulatory Consultancy team.
QA Education Books – review
QA Education Books – Top Picks. We take a look at some of the latest children’s titles as well as CPD books. See the “competitions” section to be in with a chance of winning books throughout the year… The Mermaid Who Couldn’t, written by Ali Redford, illustrated by Kara Simpson (JKP, £9.99) Abandoned on the ocean floor, Mariana the Mermaid feels useless as she can’t swim or join in with the other mermaids. Muriel the Turtle helps her find self-confidence through singing her own mighty song. This therapeutic picture book is for children aged 4-9 who lack self-confidence, including children who have had difficult life experiences. This picture book uses a simple metaphor to show how children who have experienced neglect or who lack confidence can learn to find a sense of self-worth. It will help children explore their feelings and encourage communication. Review: by Ellie’s mum, Lisa Ryder Ellie enjoyed the story. She had a strong emotional reaction to the theme of the book and was quite sad at the beginning of the story but she then became happy at the end. She was attentive throughout the story and asked to hear it again. Ellie liked the pictures but did say that she found the colours dark and a little scary at the beginning. Ellie was very emotional throughout the story and asked questions about her family. We talked about how nice it is to have a family and friends and how the mermaid thought she couldn’t do things at the beginning but once she started to try, she found she could do them. Ellie said that she struggled with climbing in the park on the climbing frames but after she practiced, she can now climb. She said it was scary at first but now it isn’t as scary. The story is a good start for discussions about self-confidence and we could role play it afterwards with her toys. The Noisy Foxes, by Amy Husband, (Willow Tree Books, £6.99) Written and illustrated by Amy Husband, The Noisy Foxes follows a family of foxes who decide to move out of the big, noisy city to look for somewhere quieter to live … but nowhere seems quite right! Distinctive collage-style illustrations add to the charm of this humorous ‘grass isn’t always greener’ tale. Reviews We asked some of our friends to read The Noisy Foxes and this is what they said: Ellie’s mum, Lisa Ryder: Ellie liked the story, the language was simple and we looked at the different words and how they sounded. Ellie loved the illustrations and liked how bright the colors are. She liked to see what was happening in other parts of the pictures. Ellie understood the meaning behind the story and we discussed it however she seemed to be more interested in the pictures. We discussed how sometimes we think we want something else but actually what we want is what we already have. Editor Victoria Galligan: My daughters loved the Noisy Foxes! My two-year-old, Amy, has insisted on reading it every night and it even went to Nanny’s for a sleepover! Kate said she liked the patterns and textures in the illustrations, and Amy liked all the different animals. We talked about the ending and how sometimes it’s nice to go away for a break but good to come home again where you belong. It’s Your Story: From 1 to 10 and From A to Z (from £17.50) Planning a prizegiving, graduation or welcoming a new student? If so mark these all-important milestones with beautifully illustrated personalised Alphabet books from Itsyourstory. Not only a fantastic teaching aid which brings numbers and the alphabet to life by making them the star – but also a perfect keepsake which includes a personal message from you to the child at the front. Called ‘From A to Z” and ‘From 1 to 10’ are this ideal gifts for young children. Every letter is accompanied by a picture and a simple, fun sentence which emphasises the sound – for example, ‘Freddy’s Dinosaur is Daring and Dangerous’, ‘Oliver Octopus has Orange Socks’. The child features in the illustrations and text on every page making it a fun, engaging and relevant read. Readers will get to go on an adventure – meeting lots of different animals, building a sandcastle at the beach and even riding a rocket to the moon! The books are available from Itsyourstory at itsyourstory.co.uk. The 32-page full-colour book includes a message at the front from the sender and retails at £17.50 for the softback version and £20 for the hardback book. Customers upload a photograph of the child as part of the order process. Review: By editor Victoria Galligan The books are amazingly engaging: my daughters (aged two and six) were both completely fascinated by the fact that their faces were actually on the cover and the pages. My eldest daughter could read the book alone and love the ‘L’ page, which sees her licking a lemon lolly. And my younger daughter couldn’t flick through the pages fast enough – we read the book several times in one go as she kept missing the pages! She was so eager to see what Amy did next! Fully recommended by us. Also out now: Educating Outside, by Helen Porter (Bloomsbury, £19.99) Educating Outside is a toolkit of outdoor learning ideas to inspire primary school teachers to head outside with their pupils and enrich their learning experiences across the curriculum. Although the benefits of learning outside are well documented, outdoor activities often decline as children progress through their education. There are many reasons for this: lack of time in the curriculum, lack of training, lack of teacher confidence, or simply lack of inspiration. Educating Outside contains a bank of outdoor learning ideas that can be used to enhance and enrich your classes’ learning experiences across the curriculum; including in science, history, geography, art and design, English and maths. Each lesson idea is linked to a specific programme of study and outlines required resources, links to soft
Can Your School Wi-Fi Coverage Stand Up to the Test?
Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, putting schools under pressure to adopt the latest technologies. Although they may be won over by the benefits they have to offer, schools may feel overwhelmed when attempting to integrate these new technologies into day-to-day operations. One technological advancement that is growing at a steady pace is digital learning, an instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. This method enhances the feedback process through assessments, provides access to difficult content, and opens up opportunities for students to learn anytime, all while creating personalised experiences. Wi-Fi is what is enabling teachers to embrace this “digital classroom”, supporting the use of innovations like smart whiteboards, collaborative learning tools and even virtual field trips. However, to ensure that your school is able to stay ahead of the curve and benefits from all the connected technologies, you must make sure that the wireless network is robust. If not, this may be the ideal time to upgrade or make a switch. The practical guide below will help you to evaluate your Wi-Fi network, to determine if it’s the right system to take advantage of the latest technological learning tools. Is the network secure? As education practitioners, one of your key priorities will always be security. A common assumption is that having a password-protected network automatically guarantees security. However, this is not necessarily the case. Passwords are no longer required to create a secure network. In fact, passwords may cause disruptions that harm your school’s ability to benefit from the Internet and classroom technologies. Instead, look for a certificate-based Wi-Fi, that will deliver a smooth service with no need for passwords, without compromising security. Is coverage consistent and strong across the whole school? It’s essential that users can roam across the school without suffering a dip in coverage. Students should be able to go from classroom to classroom without having to reconnect. The network should be able to cope with surges in demand, and manage high-density areas such as assembly areas, sports halls and the cafeteria. Connectivity shouldn’t drop when there is a sudden increase in the number of devices using the network, nor should it suffer when users are concentrated in a specific area of the school. A common myth is that strong coverage is guaranteed by using many access points (APs), which means it can be tempting to simply opt for the provider offering the most APs. However, this strategy doesn’t necessarily ensure better coverage and can be expensive and impractical. If you think your Wi-Fi infrastructure needs improving and you are thinking of changing the provider, look for one that will optimise access points based on how they will be used. A skilled provider will know how to carry out an in-depth site survey to pinpoint exactly where APs are needed to ensure high speed connectivity in high-density environments. The parameters they will consider include static factors, such as area to cover and construction materials (thick walls can sometimes slow down Wi-Fi) and dynamic factors, such as the number of devices per room and the applications used by these devices, as well as other unpredictable factors that may impact coverage. Can it handle multiple devices on the network? As secondary school budgets continue to be squeezed, a growing number are turning to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) schemes as a cost-saving solution. But you need to assess whether the network can deal with the quantity and variety of devices being used. It needs to onboard and manage a large number of diverse devices – both those owned by the academy and those bought in by pupils or visitors – without creating headaches for users and the help desk. It must be capable of accommodating users smoothly and delivering a consistent performance. What are the devices being used for? As we see technology continuing to advance in every aspect of our daily lives, it is also playing an influential role in education. Academies are exploring new ways to engage tech-savvy students and enhance their learning experience. This increased use of digital technologies places more pressure on the school’s network. Whether it’s accessing virtual classrooms, ensuring students can see their timetables online or setting homework via a digital platform, you need to make sure the network can handle the growing demands that are placed on it. One of the first steps to take is to check if students and teachers are experiencing slow load times or difficulties connecting to the Internet, as this could indicate that the network is overwhelmed or that the infrastructure needs rethinking. Are we fully prepared for new technologies? You need a network that has the built-in flexibility to grow with the school and adapt to the changing needs of teachers and pupils. Effectively, you want to “future-proof” the network, so that it will be able to support new advances in Wi-Fi technology and education software. A good provider will work closely with you to determine what this means and make sure that the network they provide is capable of overcoming these challenges. One key way that schools can prepare for the future is adopting the recently 802.11ax standard early. 11ax brings with it improved high density support, enhanced security, multi-gigabit access speed, and much more than basic Wi-Fi. Increased end-user expectations and application quality of service requirements pose unique difficulties to network designers. In schools where video content and applications are central to the curriculum, are challenging environments. Wi-Fi is the gateway to unlocking the next wave of innovation and technology, and this next generation of Wi-Fi will spur this on. By Steve Johnson, Regional Director Northern Europe, Ruckus Wireless