New report shines light on school governing boards’ lack of diversity
A new report from GovernorHub has exposed the lack of diversity on school governing boards in England, revealing the majority of school governors and trustees to be white, older, and educated to at least graduate degree level. These findings demonstrate the limited representation pupils have on their schools governing boards, in the midst of calls for schools to do more to protect and safeguard Black pupils, following widespread public outrage at the treatment of Child Q. The report, which surveyed 4,006 serving school governors and trustees and polled 1,901 members of the public, showed 90% of school governors and trustees describe themselves as white, with only 8% combined identifying as a different ethnic group. A disproportionately high 79% of governors are educated to at least graduate degree level, with over a third (36%) having been educated to post-graduate, doctorate, or equivalent level. Meanwhile more than half of governors who responded to the survey said they were aged 55 or over, and nearly a third were 65 or over. Despite the clear need for greater representation on school boards, the report also showed that there is little public understanding of the critical importance of governing bodies within schools, which could play a part in the lack of diversity. The report found that younger people and those from diverse backgrounds are in fact more likely to be interested in the role of school governor – they just need more information on it. Most respondents to the public poll did not recognise that governors and/or trustees are responsible for monitoring a school’s strategic direction, educational performance or financial performance (the three core functions of governance), and where they did, it was rare for their answers to indicate a consistent understanding across all three functions. Similarly, when asked about a perhaps more typically relatable topic, school food, only a small proportion of the public recognised that it’s the role of governors to monitor that school dinners meet the school food standards. This lack of awareness is felt by governors and trustees too, with 82% saying the public does not understand their role, and more than a third saying they had never seen an article in the mainstream press about governance. In light of the report’s discoveries, GovernorHub has outlined a number of recommendations to help tackle some of the challenges governing boards face. This includes asking the media to ensure that governance is fully and properly represented in stories relating to education and schools and requiring the government to make sure that there is more of a focus on the input of governors and trustees. The report also calls for schools, trusts and their boards to do more to find younger and more diverse candidates and consider conscious recruitment and reaching out to organisations like the National Black Governors Network to help them do so. Neil Collins, Director of GovernorHub at The Key Support “These findings paint a full and revealing view of governing boards across England, confirming an urgent need for action to ensure boards are more representative of society as a whole. “We need boards that accurately and effectively understand the issues facing young people from all walks of life. Schools need to be looking into how to recruit those people, to ensure that pupils have the representation they deserve on school boards. “GovernorHub is pledging to help broaden the talent pool by collecting, publishing and tracking data on board diversity through a new, publicly available tool. Our hope is that, in monitoring and reporting this data, we can work with the sector to make sure that every single person in the country who has the skills and passion to make a difference to the future of young people, is given the chance to get involved.”
Pupils who’ve never met win competition to put experiment in space
Slime – the gooey and beloved children’s plaything – will be used by astronauts to help clean the International Space Station thanks to an experiment designed by two teenage classmates who have never met in person. The unusual solution to the problem of keeping the ISS clean is the brainchild of Oleg Shkarovskyy and Noah Deisges, who will fly to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch their design being built and fine-tuned, before witnessing the launch of the rocket that will take it into space. The pair’s idea involves using antibacterial slime to replace wet wipes as an easier and more environmentally friendly way of keeping the delicate equipment on the ISS free from potentially harmful dust and dirt. Oleg and Noah are pupils at Minera’s Virtual Academy, a unique online independent school for children aged 12 to 18. They undertook their experiment as part of the school’s World Changers Programme – a cross-curricular and extra-curricular programme that partners students with select institutions to enrich their studies through applications in the real-world. It was entered into, and won, the International Space School Educational Trust’s (ISSET) Launch Prize. Because of the virtual nature of their studies Oleg, from Ukraine, and Noah, from Luxembourg have never met each other in person and will meet for the first time when they fly to Florida next year to watch the final touches being put to their experiment. The challenge set by ISSET was to come up with an experiment ‘to better life for mankind, on or off the planet’. Noah, 17, said: “I feel really, really proud that of all the entries, ours is the one that won. It’s like winning the euromillions! I was doing schoolwork and suddenly my phone rang. I saw it was Oleg and he said to me: ‘Noah, Noah, did you check your email yet – we won! We won!” Oleg, 15, said: “When I received the email, I thought it was a letter to make us feel better after we hadn’t won, so I closed it. Then I opened it again and saw the subtitle, which said: ‘You’re the winners!’ Then I started reading the email – each line was even harder and harder to read. I just wanted to call everyone on earth. But Noah was the first person I called.” “It’s unbelievable how much Nasa has advanced and the opportunities they are offering to the younger generations. Still, each time I think about the fact that our experiment will go into space, I get a buzz of joy and amazement in my head.” Oleg said he thought the judges had selected their experiment because of its “simplicity and utility”. “We analysed the issues in space, adapted to the conditions and found a simple solution,” he said. “That is the key in persuading the judges, nothing overcomplicated.” Describing the experiment, Noah said: “The abnormal behaviour of water in microgravity makes cleaning tiring and time-consuming with no guarantee of complete sanitisation. Crumbs from food, hairs and dead skin cells are also a problem in microgravity as they can contaminate every surface and even cause issues with electricals or get into astronauts eyes. “Astronauts currently tend to use disposable wipes, liquid detergent and disposable plastic gloves, but these are neither environmentally friendly nor particularly practical, as space on the ISS is at a premium. “This got us thinking of ways to clean surfaces using materials that can be reused. We came up with the idea of using a slime mixture with antibacterial properties. It’s possible to make this mixture using household items, but it hasn’t yet been tested in a microgravity environment. “We believe this could be a much better cleaning solution as it would stick to the ‘dirt’ and remove it from surfaces efficiently whilst also sanitising that surface. The slime would also be reusable when wiped clean and so would be a suitable solution to use for long periods. It would be particularly effective at cleaning more delicate areas like keyboards or buttons with lots of grooves that might be time consuming to properly clean with a wipe alone.” The student’s prize-winning experiment will now be tested to see whether it can save space in Space as well as conserving our environment back down here on Earth. The eight-week World Changers Programme saw Noah and Oleg develop their idea with input from Jack Child – Minerva Virtual Academy’s Deputy Head and Head of Chemistry – as well as from a team of Astronauts and Space Scientists at ISSET. “ISSET were terrific at treating the students like real scientists,” said Jack. “They met with every group that submitted, explaining to them the pros and cons and helping them to think outside the box.” Jack, who is also the two pupils’ mentor at Minerva’s Virtual Academy, was thrilled and very proud of their win. “These two worked exceptionally hard, giving up time across the summer holidays to keep working on their experiment. I’m so glad their hard work has been rewarded,” he said. “I mean, it is actual rocket science! “Normally I get questions from students that I’m comfortable answering, but these guys were working at such a level that encouraged me to do my own research, lessening the gap between teacher and student. ‘I’m proud of the school, the kind of development and opportunities we can offer, and the calibre of students that are choosing to enrol, but most of all, I’m proud of Oleg and Noah’s excitement and enthusiasm. “ISSET works so well with World Changers. It’s an incredible prize and an incredible feat to have won it. Who knows where Oleg and Noah will go next.” Oleg said: “Jack was inspiring us – motivating us and always there to keep us going. Sometimes I’d forget he was our supervisor – he was so eager for Noah and I to carry on and do it. “This experiment brought all of us closer. I feel like I’ve known Noah and Jack for ages, even though
Hay Festival to host free programme for schools
Hay Festival is the world’s leading festival of ideas, bringing readers and writers together in sustainable events to inspire, examine and entertain in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. Returning for its first in-person spring in two years, the Hay Festival 2022 programme will launch the best new fiction and non-fiction, while offering insights and debate around some of the biggest issues of our times in a programme of conversations featuring more than 600 award-winning writers, policy makers, pioneers and innovators. Hay Festival has today revealed the free Programme for Schools for this spring’s edition, bringing writers and young readers together in-person and online for a series of inspiring interactive activities and workshops, 26-27 May, ahead of the main programme 26 May-5 June 2022. Parents and teachers can explore the programme online now at hayfestival.org/schools with priority booking open now to all state schools in Wales. KS2 events on Thursday 26 May: See Wales Book of the Year 2021-winner Caryl Lewis introduce her new novel, Seed and Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell present Wizards and Magic. Anthony Horowitz discusses The Diamond Brother Detectives: Where Seagulls Dare TV scientist Ben Garrod launches Extinct Maz Evans offers VI Spy: Never Say Whatever Again BBC Radio 4’s Rich Knight talks If I Ran the Country Iszi Lawrence tells the stories of real-life heroic women in Billie Swift Takes Flight; engineer Roma Agrawal shares How Was That Built? MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman launch the fifth book in their bestseller Adventures on Trains series, Sabotage on the Solar Express Piers Torday discusses his prequel novel The Wild Before; Nadia Shireen introduces the weird and wonderful animals of Grimwood Elle McNicoll presents her magical fantasy Like a Charm. KS3/4 events on Friday 27 May Welsh poet and playwright Eric Ngalle Charles perform Homelands Nigerian-Welsh writer Natasha Bowen offer her unforgettable love story infused with West African mythology, Skin of the Sea. Jacqueline Wilson discusses Baby Love Television’s first lady of the paranormal and presenter of Most Haunted Yvette Fielding talks The House in the Woods novelist Alex Wheatle shares Kemosha of the Caribbean Christine Pillainayagam debuts her hilarious novel, Ellie Pillai is Brown Femi Fadugba presents his debut title, The Upper World Louisa Reid shares the unique power of the verse novel with Wrecked/Gloves Off Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates launches her new novel, The Trial Jeffrey Boakye presents What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions; “Queen of Teen Thrillers” Sophie McKenzie talks Truth or Dare Podcaster and author Alexis Caught offers Queer Up: An Uplifting Guide to LGBTQ+ Love, Life, and Mental Health. For those who can’t access the free events in person, sessions will also be streamed free online, with closed captioning available in Welsh and English at hayfestival.org/schools, and available free after the event on Hay Player at hayfestival.org/hayplayer. The last full in-person Programme for Schools at Hay Festival 2019 saw more than 10,000 pupils attend from primary and secondary schools across England and Wales, while digital editions over the past two years have reached more than 160,000 pupils with free events online. Alongside today’s announcement, the Festival has also opened applications to the Beacons Project, a free creative residency for budding Welsh writers aged 16-18, and unveiled a new 25% reduction in ticket prices for all those in further education. Full details can be found at hayfestival.org/education. Aine Venables, Hay Festival Education Manager, said: “Following two years of enormous challenges for young people in Wales and the wider UK, we’re delighted to be back offering in-person inspiration alongside a vibrant digital offer for 2022. “With the return of our free Programme for Schools and Beacons Project alongside our new student ticket offer, we’re on our way to making this year’s Festival our most accessible and inclusive yet. Join us.” Twenty-two early-bird events are on sale now at hayfestival.org/wales with the full programme scheduled for release to Friends of Hay Festival on Tuesday 5 April and on general sale Friday 8 April. A special gala event to celebrate the 35th anniversary year of Hay Festival will take place in London on Thursday 7 April as writers and performers share the literary works that have most inspired them over the years, along with anecdotes from their favourite Festival moments. Tickets are available now at hayfestival.org/p-18658-hay-festival-tales.aspx. Keep up to date with Hay Festival news by signing up to the newsletter or follow on: Twitter: @hayfestival / @hayfestival_esp Facebook: hayfestival / hayfestivalesp Instagram: @hayfestival / @hayfestival_esp TikTok: @hayfestival / @hayfestival_esp #HayFestival2022
New report on pupil learning loss from the pandemic published by the Department for Education
New research from Education Policy Institute (EPI) and Renaissance for the Depart for Education has found that learning losses for primary pupils in the 2021/2022 autumn term had shown signs of recovery since the 2020/2021 summer term. But for pupils in secondary schools, in reading, there have been further losses amongst pupils since the summer. Learning losses for disadvantaged pupils remain greater than their non-disadvantaged peers. Between the summer and autumn terms, the gap in progress between disadvantaged pupils and their peers widened in primary and secondary reading, but narrowed in primary maths. Large regional disparities in learning losses persist, with pupils in parts of the north of England and the Midlands seeing greater losses than those living in other regions. Key findings from the new DfE research Pupil learning loss at a national level On average, pupils remain behind in reading and mathematics, compared with pre-pandemic progress. For secondary school pupils in reading, average learning losses increased between the summer and autumn terms.[1] · Primary reading: At a national level, by the end of the first half of the 2021/2022 autumn term, primary school pupils were on average 0.8 months behind in reading, compared to where they would be in a typical, pre-pandemic year. This level of learning loss was largely unchanged since the end of the 2020/21 summer term. · Primary maths: Primary school pupils were on average 1.9 months behind in maths by the end of the first half of autumn term. Pupils had recovered by 0.4 months since the end of the summer term. · Secondary reading: Secondary school pupils were on average 2.4 months behind in reading by of the end of the first half of the autumn term. Learning losses had increased by 0.5 months since the end of the summer term. Learning loss for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds (those eligible for free school meals at some point over the last 6 years) have on average experienced greater learning losses than their non-disadvantaged peers. · Disadvantaged primary reading: At a national level, in the 2021/2022 autumn term, disadvantaged pupils in primary school were on average 1.4 months behind in their reading, compared to 0.5 months for non-disadvantaged pupils – a gap of 0.9 months. This difference in lost learning between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has widened since the summer term. · Disadvantaged primary maths: Disadvantaged primary school pupils were on average 2.2 months behind in maths in the autumn term, compared to 1.8 months for non-disadvantaged pupils – a gap of 0.4 months. This difference in lost learning between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has reduced since the summer term. · Disadvantaged secondary reading: Disadvantaged secondary school pupils were on average 3.5 months behind in reading in the autumn term, compared to 2.0 months for non-disadvantaged pupils – a substantial gap of 1.5 months. This difference in lost learning between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has also widened since the summer term. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is in addition to the existing gap in school attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, that was evident prior to the pandemic. Pupil learning loss at a regional level Substantial disparities in learning losses are apparent at a regional level, with pupils in certain areas experiencing larger losses than in other parts of the country. The rates of recovery between the end of the last school year and beginning of the current year also vary considerably. In the autumn term (2021/2022), average regional learning losses in reading for pupils in primary school were[2]: · East Midlands: -1.0 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · East of England: -0.5 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · London: -0.3 months (losses remain broadly the same) · North East: -1.3 months (further loss of 0.4 months) · North West: -1.2 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · South East: -0.7 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · South West: -0.3 months (recovery of 0.3 months) · West Midlands: -0.9 months (recovery of 0.4 months) · Yorkshire and the Humber: -1.1 months (further loss of 0.4 months) In the autumn term (2021/2022), average regional learning losses in reading for pupils in secondary school were: · East Midlands: -2.6 months (further loss of 0.6 months since the summer term) · East of England: -2.2 months (further loss of 0.5 months) · London: -1.8 months (further loss of 1.1 months) · North East: -3.1 months (further loss of 0.8 months · North West: -3.2 months (further loss of 1.1 months) · South East: -2.2 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · South West: -2.2 months (further loss of 0.4 months) · West Midlands: -2.4 months (further loss of 0.7 months) · Yorkshire and the Humber: -3.0 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) Commenting on the new research, Jon Andrews, report author and Head of Analysis at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said: “This research shows a mixed picture in relation to learning losses during the pandemic and the extent of pupil catch up. “Our latest data shows a reduction in the extent of lost learning in primary maths since the summer. However, what is particularly concerning is the performance of secondary-aged pupils. Far from showing signs of recovery, they appear to be showing a greater degree of learning loss than they did at the end of the last school year. Disadvantaged children in secondary schools also appear to be falling further behind their non-disadvantaged peers in their reading. “This research is helping us to identify where the learning losses are still large, by phase, subject, student characteristic and region. This should help policymakers to target extra support where it is most needed.” John Moore, Managing Director UK/Australia at Renaissance, added: “It’s vital we continue to track the impact of the disruption caused by COVID-19 on pupils’ learning, particularly when that tracking
Digital exclusion in classrooms fuelled by lack of access to devices and connectivity
Southampton University has launched a report, commissioned by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., analysing how digital exclusion is being fuelled in classrooms by a lack of access to devices and connectivity. By surveying teachers, lecturers, students, IT support staff and educational sector regulators in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, the research measures the impact that a lack of devices and connectivity is having today – as well as the effect an ongoing shortage will have on the connected classroom and education in Europe. Educators and students across Europe are acutely aware of the challenges and disruption caused by Covid-19. As parts of Europe start to emerge from the worst effects of the pandemic, 2022 will be a critical year as the Education sector seeks to return to something approaching normality. The pandemic has changed many elements of teaching and learning, making 2022 a critical inflection point as the Education sector analyses learnings from the pandemic and asks how it can best equip itself to deliver on the promise of the future of the classroom. A key question will be how to close the digital divide which became even more apparent during the pandemic, with some students effectively locked out of certain education methods due to a lack of suitable devices or connectivity – and sometimes both. Based on responses from 2,571 European respondents, the study demonstrates there are few boundaries to the digital divide. Across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, over one third (36%) of respondents described the effect of the digital divide as “high or very high”. An additional 39% described the impact of the digital divide as “medium” with only 25% describing it as “low” or “very low.” Disadvantaged areas are experiencing the same digital divide barriers as pre-Covid conditions The research unravels how respondents in educational settings perceive hybrid learning environments and compares access to on-campus and in-classroom connectivity vs home Wi-Fi, showing that plenty of students across Europe have been grappling with accessibility to technology which impedes access to learning and educational opportunity. In 2020 the World Economic Forum (WEF) revealed that more than one billion childrenacross the globe are currently locked out of classrooms because of quarantine measures. Regardless of the fact that countless schools are running daily online classes – many of these children simply cannot take part. The uniquely challenging conditions of the past two years have only exacerbated the issue, creating serious obstacles for students and educators. A lack of connectivity and access to devices left many low-income families across the world at a disadvantage during the previous 20 months – with “hybrid” teaching and learning taking place in the classroom and virtually based on the rate of infection at the time. However, we know that innovation and technologies like 5G, combined with support from governments and the technology industry in terms of up levelling agendas, government initiatives and discounted plans and devices, can play a critical role in closing the digital divide. For a significant number of families, this digital divide will remain a reality long after the pandemic, so it’s vital that organisations work to ensure the availability of 5G, devices and programmes well into the future. Hybrid learning environments will remain the new normal for Education As we navigate through the next phase of the pandemic, variants with high transmission rates are causing staff shortages and student sickness is plunging education institutions back into hybrid learning environments. According to the research, a significant number of respondents (80%) indicate that hybrid learning will remain an important element of instruction practices going forward. Given the wide pool of respondents across multiple educational settings, this hyper-relevant sample of respondents in the heart of the Education sector, confirms that hybrid learning is long term, everywhere, and the Education and Technology sectors must work together to overcome this global challenge. Internet connectivity on-site vs at home When examining the strength of internet connectivity in higher education and University settings, in terms of very poor and poor Wi-Fi quality, the findings demonstrate that students with access to high-speed internet connectivity at home often experience worse Wi-Fi quality while in class/on campus. At home, where many students have found themselves throughout long periods of the pandemic, a total of 15% of students reported having only poor (3.9%) or fair (11.1%) Wi-Fi. Poor or fair Wi-Fi is likely to cause issues for online education either in terms of availability or speed of connection – or both, which may prevent students from taking part in teaching sessions conducted over video calls. The quality of home and school Wi-Fi networks may be influenced by the pressure on school Wi-Fi due to the sheer volume of students all trying to connect to the same connection, compared to home Wi-Fi where the number of connected devices will be significantly less. In a school setting students may be further away from Wi-Fi access points (e.g., a router) than they would be at home. Perhaps in part for these reasons, students reported experiencing more connectivity issues in their classrooms, libraries and campuses compared to at home when accessing high-speed Internet using computing devices. According to our research, a digital divide is felt both at home and in classroom settings. This is an important finding because it shows that initiatives to address the digital divide should not take education settings for granted and must focus on accelerating connectivity inside and outside of the classroom alike. This is particularly important for students who may not be able to learn from home. Separate research from Statista shows that all the five countries included in this research, to some extent, have an Internet penetration gap. For instance, the UK has 92.17% Internet penetration, meaning there is still scope to address the Internet connectivity gap in the Global North where it might otherwise be assumed that access to connectivity is generally no longer a problem. The University of Southampton research highlights a technology knowledge gap contributing to the connectivity gap. The study asked respondents for their views on Always Connected Personal Computers (ACPCs), which combine the
Fire risk warning over school kitchen extraction systems
Hundreds of schools across the UK could be at risk of devastating fires because the commercial extraction systems in their kitchens aren’t being cleaned to required industry wide standards. All kitchens in a commercial setting now need to be cleaned by specially accredited technicians in order to adequately remove dangerous volumes of grease which quickly build up in the extraction ventilations systems. Due to the flammable nature of the greases and oils in large-scale kitchens, there is a real risk that any fires could rapidly spread throughout school buildings. It is estimated that an entire building could be devastated within just 10 minutes. To alleviate the fire risks, a Building Engineering Services Competence Assessment (BESCA) Vent Hygiene Elite (VHE) scheme requires all commercial kitchens to be cleaned to what is known in the industry as TR19 level. However there are fears many organisations across the UK are unaware of this specification. Cumbria-based Hy5 Commercial Cleaning is one of only a handful of companies in the UK with the necessary BESCA accreditation, and its team is warning businesses of the potential dangers of not adequately removing grease from their kitchen extraction. Keith Simm, the Founder and Managing Director of Hy5, said: “All commercial kitchens will routinely be cleaned but many establishments will be totally unaware of the requirement to have the commercial extraction systems cleaned to such a high standard, and why it is so important to do so. “Over time, the amount of grease which builds up in the system is vast and they can easily catch alight due to the nature of them being around intense heat and open flames. These greases are highly flammable and once they catch fire, the flames spread extremely quickly. “It does not bear thinking about the worst case scenarios in schools and care homes where you could have hundreds of vulnerable people trying to get out of the building at the same time. “This is why the BESCA VHE exists and why we have significantly invested in becoming accredited because safety is of paramount importance to us. We are leading the way nationally in grease hygiene, and we want to raise awareness about the new specification to prevent any major disasters.” The BESCA VHE has the backing of all major insurance providers across the UK, and the companies will only provide full fire cover to establishments which have been serviced by accredited technicians. Keith added: “If commercial kitchens have not been cleaned by BESCA VHE accredited technicians, then they will not be properly covered by any insurance policies. “If there is sadly a fire, not only are you counting the cost of any damage, but you won’t get any payout from your insurance company either.” The VHE has been introduced by BESCA to provide a management process for controlling the risk of grease-related fires associated with commercial kitchen extraction systems. By cleaning the kitchen ventilation system to such a high standard, businesses remove contamination from the cooking processes to significantly reduce the fire risk presented, improve system performance and ensure the surrounding area is well ventilated. “When it comes to fire safety, the need for competence and compliance cannot be overstated,” said Duncan Sibbald who administers VHE on behalf of BESCA. “Many parts of our industry were effectively unregulated for years and initiatives like VHE were the result of responsible firms and individuals trying to take a stand against those less than scrupulous operators who seemed unperturbed by the fact their work was putting lives at risk. “Since the Grenfell tragedy, that work has taken on even greater significance and we are delighted that firms like Hy5 are clearly committed to improving professional standards right across our sector.” BESCA acts as a certification body as part of the wider Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and aims to help UK businesses and individuals to meet industry standards, ensuring compliance and promoting best practice among the industry.
Schools are under cyber attack – here’s why
School leaders are being urged to make sure they are keeping their systems secure amid a growing amount of cyber attacks. Here’s why schools are being targeted and what can be done about it. Education is a unique sector, with tech savvy but perhaps naïve students having access to the internet with limited filtering, as well as the need to access a variety of sites for research purposes. Back in March 2021, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a warning to educational facilities, as a sharp increase on ransomware attacks were noted. This continued into May and June of 2021, with notable hacks such as that of Oxford University laboratories and Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust, which affected 50 schools for just under a week. Schools are under attack daily, but why, and how can the risk be reduced? Breach numbers by type of education Across the education sector, there’s higher risk of a data breach the older the students get. According to data from the government’s Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2021, 26% of further education facilities reported a breach, 15% of secondary schools reported a breach and just 6% of primary schools reported breaches. This spread across the age categories shows that as pupils get older and get more unrestricted access to the internet, the rate of data breaches, which includes any cybercrime related ones, increases. Why do breaches and hacks affect the education sector? With a combination of naïve students, hundreds of users logging in to the same devices and long periods of inactivity during the summer months, it’s no wonder that schools can be seen as an easy target. Now that most secondary schools are no longer run by the government, instead through academy trusts, the central support network of resource has to be sourced by the trust, who may have less experience and the lack of a designated cyber expert who can assist in times of trouble. On the same tune, the budget to upgrade hardware, especially in state schools, is not there. Old computer systems, limited access to modern software and the extensive cost of firewalls all contribute to higher risks and easier targets. These, coupled with the number of financial transactions processed by one person or a small team, and the number of parent’s bank details that the school may hold. The data on each pupil, and the value that this data, as well as the detrimental impact that no access to computers has on the education of young people all contribute to the increased risks that schools face daily. How can you protect your school? As headteachers and senior leadership, there is a responsibility to provide training and education to both staff and pupils at your schools, and to ensure that there are people who are trained to understand cybersecurity and the risks it brings. Learn what a phishing email may look like Phishing emails, whereby an email that appears genuine is actually malicious, can be hard to detect to the untrained eye. By clicking on a phishing link, you can give a hacker access to details such as computer information, a route into your emails or worse, installing ransomware on your device. However, with some basic knowledge and training, your staff and pupils can begin to detect the phishing emails amongst the ones they actually need. Similarly, you should also have a reporting process for phishing attacks, and make sure everyone is aware of this process. Create passwords that are strong By having the same, or similar, passwords for everything in both your home and work life, you should instead have different passwords for everything. However, remembering these is tricky and can be hard when moving around computers all day, as is typical in schools. As well as writing them down in a notebook, which isn’t secure, you also shouldn’t save them to your browser where possible. Password managers such as Dashlane or Last Pass are highly secure ways of storing passwords, and both come with a mobile app, as well as browser extensions. Rather than using your mother’s maiden name and your first pet combined with the letter one, try and combine two random words together. Update devices regularly Whether you have staff who work on laptops around the school, or office staff who work part remote, it’s important that updates, especially security patches are done regularly. Your IT team should send round reminders when people need to install updates on staff computers and have a schedule for general use computers to ensure all receive updates at the same time.
Autism campaigner backs calls for significant improvement in diagnosis waiting times
A leading autism campaigner has backed calls for significant improvement in diagnosis waiting times. Anna Kennedy OBE, founder of national autism charity AnnaKennedyonline, has spoken out after the National Autistic Society sent an open letter to Rishi Sunak highlighting the lengthy waiting times for an autism assessment. Anna has campaigned for many years on autism diagnosis and the importance of early intervention. She said: “Promises are made however, we see little very little action. “I’m flooded with message across social media snd through the charity about wait times for an assessment for an autism diagnosis for their children. “Parents are complaining of waiting between two and five years for a diagnosis for their child, and it is very much a postcode lottery.” Recently Anna read an article that in central London families were waiting over a year for just for a referral diagnosis appointment, despite waiting time guidelines of three months. Anna says the government has yet to complete previous promises by a host of Health secretaries to officially record the waiting time figures. Anna says she was told that their were complex reasons for the delays, including increased demand for the assessment which had increased “significantly” in the last few years due to wider awareness about autism. More families may believe their children are on the spectrum due to charities like AnnaKennedyonline forging ahead to raise awareness and acceptance. Anna says the access to special needs services, which includes an educational psychologist’s report and a limited amount of free speech and language therapy on the NHS, appears to vary hugely depending on what part of the country the child lives in. Not all local authorities, health or education services provided equally strong support according to the parents she spoke to. Waiting a long time for a diagnosis means a window for early intervention could be missed. She added: “It has an impact on the child, it has an impact on the school, which doesn’t know what they are dealing with. It has an impact on the siblings, and obviously the family.” While some parents Anna has spoken to over the years campaigning did avoid seeking a “label”, others told Anna of being dismissed. In its letter to Mr Sunak, the National Autistic Society reveals an estimated 88,000 children are waiting to be assessed for a diagnois. It says: “You have the opportunity to end the autism diagnosis crisis in your Spring Statement, by allocating the urgent funding that the NHS in England needs to both increase the number of assessments carried out and tackle the backlog. No one should have to wait years for a life-changing autism diagnosis.”
Pupils across the UK encouraged to get creative in competition to find the art and everyday maths
To get children across the country thinking about ‘everyday maths’, leading edtech provider Renaissance Learning has today, on World Maths Day, launched an exciting drawing competition for primary schools. On World Maths Day (23 March) research has revealed that, due to the pandemic, 61% of teachers in the UK are finding that their students are less secure in their understanding of maths being taught whilst 44% are worried that their pupils risk falling behind in the subject and almost half (46%) have covered less of the maths curriculum than normal. Amid these concerns over the impact the pandemic has had on maths in particular, Renaissance Learning is looking to encourage a passion for maths among all primary school pupils. Pupils are being asked to think big about how maths can be found in the everyday and create imaginative artwork showing their vision of where they can see and experience maths in the world around them. The overall winning school will receive £2,000 towards a trip, whilst the individual winners from each of the three age categories will receive a Kindle Fire and a year’s subscription to Freckle and Star Maths for their class or school. Winning entries may also appear as future ‘Depth of Knowledge’ questions in Freckle. Every entrant will receive a certificate to thank them for taking part. Renaissance already works with over 800 schools in the UK through the provision of adaptive solutions that support the practice and assessment of reading and maths. As part of this competition, however, participating schools will be offered free access to Freckle, Renaissance’s new primary maths practice solution. Catherine Magee, Teacher of the Year in a Primary School Silver Winner and Head Judge for the competition, says: “I’m delighted to be involved in judging the entries received from schools. It’s so important that we engage children in maths in an exciting and accessible way and this competition will give teachers and pupils the tools to do that.” Sarah Haythornthwaite, Marketing Director at Renaissance Learning, says: “We’re really excited to be launching the “Sum it up in a picture” competition in a bid to encourage children to think about how maths is all around us in everyday life – and we hope to stimulate fun in the subject by getting pupils really engaged with their artwork! We want students to take ownership of their learning by connecting maths to their everyday experiences. We’re also proud to be supporting teachers and schools with their mission to keep pupils excited about learning maths, which is why we’re making Freckle freely available for use at school and home.” The competition will be supported by a range of inspirational school resources to bring maths to life and help fire up the imagination of pupils to create colourful, eye-catching artwork capturing how maths is used in the world around us. The deadline for entering the competition is 6pm on 29th April 2022 with winners and highly commended pupils announced shortly after. Details on how to enter can be found at www.renlearn.co.uk/sum-it-up alongside more information about Renaissance and Freckle.