Aquaswitch helps schools save on their business water rates
The public accounts committee has recently warned that one in four secondary schools are in deficit and having to work through budget cuts. According to parliament’s spending watchdog, children’s education is being eroded by the financial pressure, with authority-run secondary schools among the worst hit. Schools on the lookout for pain-free ways of reducing overheads have found significant savings by switching water suppliers Can schools switch their water supplier? Yes, in 2017, the English non-household water market for water was deregulated, allowing schools to choose who supplies them with water services. Unlike other utilities such as electricity and gas, most schools have never considered comparing or switching water tariffs. The deregulated market for water has reached its fifth birthday, and the available savings in the market are now significant. How much could my school save? Comparing water quotes is a simple process with AquaSwitch. Search for your school on our smart-postcode finder to request a business water comparison report. The AquaSwitch business water comparison service will compare your current default tariff to options available from across the market. With the AquaSwitch hassle-free switch, we’ve helped schools save thousands on their water bills. AquaSwitch also offers you the chance to compare business energy and save on your energy bills.
Dr Anna Kennedy selected as autism Ambassador of the Year by IAOTP
The founder of a UK autism charity is celebrating being honoured by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). Dr Anna Kennedy was recently selected as Top Autism Ambassador of the Year by the IAOTP. The award was for her outstanding leadership, dedication and contributions to autistic children, parents of autistic children, professionals, media and all who are concerned with autism. Dr Kennedy has more than 23 years of professional experience as an educator, mother and autism ambassador and campaigner after setting up a support group and later a charity in her name. After diagnoses of asperger’s syndrome for Anna’s eight-year-old son and Autism for her five-year-old son, Anna and her husband Sean started an autism support group. A stunning 275 families joined, sparking their idea to open a special school, a project they completed by remortgaging their home and raising a significant amount of funds.. Anna has now cofounded two schools and an adult vocational centre. As the Chairperson and founder of Anna Kennedy Online Autism Charity, her team of volunteers actively incorporates workshops, training, legal advice, and speaking engagements across UK. Additionally, they update social media and the AnnaKennedyOnline website to remain current. The President of IAOTP, Stephanie Cirami, commented: “We are honored to have Dr Anna Kennedy a part of the IAOTP family. “She is brilliant at what she does, has tremendous foresight and her advocacy skills are unmatched. We know she is an amazing asset to our network of professionals. We are looking forward to meeting her at the Annual Awards Gala this year.” Dr Kennedy is an active member of the autism community and serves as an ambassador for the Special Dreams Foundation, Includability and Born Anxious. She is a committee member of LOANI, Ladies of All Nations International Group, and a patron who supports DaisyChain, Square Peg Foundation, Kilmarock Horse Rescue, Autism Support Crawley, Cheshire Autism Practical Support and Hillingdon SEND. Throughout her illustrious career, Anna has received awards, accolades and was recognized worldwide for her commitment to raising autism awareness and helping those on the spectrum. Looking back, Dr Kennedy attributes her success to Patrick and Angelo, her two sons, who have been the driving force of her charity. She believes it is important amongst a growing community to make help, support and advice available to all. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and sharing her journey to inspire others. For the future, she will continue to fight hard for all diagnosed with autism, so their voices are heard and improve educational and other resources for individuals, families and care takers who are touched by autism. Dr Kennedy’s biography, ‘Not Stupid’, her story of the struggles she faced while setting up a school for her boys and how she improved the quality of life for her sons and other children with autism, is available on Amazon. For more information on Dr Anna Kennedy please visit: www.annakennedyonline.com
Legionella in Schools: Key points for good water management
Starting with management policy; it’s important to identify a hierarchy of authority (communications pathway/organogram) for water hygiene management ensuring that those responsible are demonstrably competent to undertake their role. Doing so will help the organisation to suitably delineate between management and operational water hygiene responsibilities. Moreover, estates, facilities and/or caretaking staff will invariably accept responsibility for planned preventative and reactive maintenance tasks (as ‘authorised’ or ‘competent’ persons), whereas staff members with a strategic water hygiene responsibility (often estates) may accept responsibility for managing the organisational written scheme of control (sometimes referred to as the water safety plan). The responsibility to manage and deliver the organisational written scheme of control typically falls within the role of the ‘responsible person’ (RP). Nominating a demonstrably competent person (known as the RP) for water hygiene is a legal requirement and is a role of significant responsibility as the duty holder, or ‘directing mind’ of the organisation – often the Chancellor or Principal, may be the head teacher of a school (depending on the type of school) and may not necessarily possess the technical knowledge, qualifications, water hygiene experience or expertise to adequately execute the duties of the RP and therefore authority may be delegated by the duty holder to an RP. This may help to ensure that the estate is managed in accordance with accepted practices and that assurances are provided to occupiers of the estate (teaching staff, students) regarding protection from waterborne pathogens such as Legionella and associated infection and disease. Good water hygiene management within school properties can be distilled into the following areas: 1 – Establishing the level of water hygiene risk; 2 – Devising an action plan proportionate to risk; 3 – Evidencing how risk has been suitably managed. ACoP L8 and HSG 274 Part 2 provide practical advice and guidance on how this can be achieved – to help ensure compliance with health and safety laws. Establishing the level of risk within school properties can be further compartmentalised into two main areas: 1 – Management policy; 2 – Operations. Whilst many of the operational and managerial water hygiene responsibilities may be delegated, it is noteworthy that the duty holder will retain accountability for ‘water and Legionella risk’. It may be prudent to consider this when planning the resources and budget required to ensure that all health and safety concerns are adequately addressed. The threat from Legionnaires’ Disease is considered ‘preventable’ and when contracted from an estate, invariably there will be legal ramifications… Once the management structure has been agreed and formalised within a policy document, water management considerations now become more ‘operational’. For example, a good starting point for a school, as for any organisation, would be to commission a site-specific water risk assessment with accompanying schematics. Carrying out a site-specific risk assessment is an absolute requirement under health and safety law. Provided that the risk assessment is accurate and completed in accordance with British Standard 8580-1 then the full extent of the water safety risk will be captured. The risk assessment should include a survey that includes all the systems that may contribute to or cause a risk of waterborne infection. Risks should be evaluated and quantified based on the likelihood of Legionella contamination within a given system and the consequence of infection from this bacteria, using a scoring system for example. School water systems that could present a risk will more than likely include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following: Domestic cold-water systems – cold water (i.e. less than 20°C) is to be achieved at the outlet within two minutes. This should be confirmed by monthly monitoring from sentinel outlets (i.e. those nearest and farthest from the water source); Domestic hot-water systems – hot water should be heated to at least 60°C and be distributed to all parts of the system at 50°C or above. Hot water should achieve temperature within 1-minute of opening the outlet. This should be confirmed by monthly monitoring of sentinel outlets or, where there is pumped hot water circulation, by monitoring the temperature at the farthest point on the recirculating pipework; Showers – ensure that these outlets are cleaned and descaled at least quarterly and used or flushed at least once weekly. If showers are infrequently used they should be removed or flushed regularly. Flushing activities are to be captured in a documented programme with records kept as evidence; Wash hand basin tap outlets – ensure that all outlets are used or flushed at least once weekly. Similarly, if there are infrequently used outlets then they should be removed or captured in the aforementioned flushing programme; Cold water storage tanks (stored cold water) – ensure that temperature within the tank is less than 20°C and that storage capacity does not exceed 24-hours of supply; Hot water generators/boilers (stored hot water) – stored hot water should be no less than 60°C and therefore flow at no less than 60°C from the boiler; Thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) – depending on the asset which the TMV is serving, then water temperature should be regulated to 41°C +/- 2°C in order to mitigate scald risk. However, this falls within temperature range that encourages the growth of waterborne bacteria (20-45°C ) and therefore these risk systems should be dismantled, cleaned, disinfected and functional checks at least annually. The HSE’s HSG274 Technical Guidance, Part 2, Table 2.1 provides practical guidance on the minimum requirements for the management of these systems. Therefore, whilst it’s not mandatory to follow the guidance, bear in mind that should the guidance not be followed then an organisation will need to demonstrate that they have achieved either an equivalent or better standard. Once the risk assessments have been completed, an assessment of perceived inherent and actual risk will be provided by the surveyor. In practice, this often generates recommendations on how water safety risk can be reduced within the estate. The risk assessment can therefore be used to inform the written scheme of control and assist with the development of an action plan that identifies the corrective action to be taken as well as realistic timescales for completion. Schools, as with all organisations, must at this
Employability hit hardest by lockdown according to UK students
More than half (54%) of UK pupils aged 16-18 believe the COVID-19 pandemic caused greater disruption to their employable skills-based learning – such as data analysis and communication skills – than to their learning of academic subjects, leaving them less prepared to enter the workforce, according to a new survey from Tableau, the world’s leading analytics platform (NYSE: CRM). The nationwide research, which explored the impact of lockdown on the education of pupils in years’ 10-13, also found that less than half (47%) of students feel that their school education has prepared them for the world of work, while almost two fifths (38%) are unaware of the key skills sought after by employers. A Royal Society report during lockdown suggested that school time lost because of the pandemic could harm the UK economy for the next 65 years due to its negative impact on the future skills of the workforce. Discussing the results in relation to the UK’s data skills gap, Professor Pat Tissington, Academic Director of Employability and Skills at University of Warwick said: “To speed up the UK’s economic recovery, it is vital that educational institutions prepare pupils for the world of work and give greater focus to the skills that are becoming increasingly important for employers, such as data analysis. “Data skills are relevant for a wide range of roles, yet the research from Tableau shows that almost half (47%) of students find the concept of data analysis a little scary. This precedes the pandemic; in the last two years almost half (46%) of UK businesses have struggled to recruit for roles that require data skills. More needs to be done to equip pupils with the digital skills they need in the workplace if the UK is to avoid a huge data skills gap.” For UK employers, the need for digital skills has spread far beyond traditional IT job roles, with two in three (68%) job postings outside the technology sector seeking data-literate candidates and many lower-skilled roles demanding basic data literacy skills. Meanwhile the lack of data-driven skills could have a severe impact on the UK economy – costing as much as £2billion annually. Commenting on the results of the survey, Dan Pell, General Manager and Senior Vice President for EMEA at Tableau commented: “Although lockdown disrupted skills learning, we know that there was already a problem with data skills education. This seriously limits career opportunities for young people right across the country, and those who aren’t able to demonstrate data skills will be at the back of the jobs queue. “We’re not just talking about skills for jobs in the tech industry here; we’re talking about skills used daily in almost every job – the confidence to handle and understand data. Building back better is a unique opportunity for a resetting of priorities when it comes to ensuring our children are best prepared for life beyond school.” As well as feeling unprepared for work, the study also found that 80% of pupils would like schools to work more closely with businesses to make education more relevant to employers. Dan Pell added: “At Tableau, we know it’s not just the responsibility of schools and colleges to teach pupils the digital skills they need – but future employers too. For this reason, we have free data literacy e-learning courses for children, young people and adults., to help anyone learn the foundation data skills they need for the ever-evolving digital requirements of employers.” The Tableau free e-learning course provides an introduction to data skills and is accessible from any device with an internet connection. Students who have completed the course can add it to job application forms and university and college applications. Research methodology The survey by Vitreous World, commissioned by Tableau, was conducted to gain insight into UK pupils and their understanding of employer wants and sentiment towards data analysis. The quantitative survey was conducted in May – June 2021, at a +/- 3.1% margin of error, and interviewed 1,005 students in the UK, with equal representation across years 10, 11, 12 and 13. About Tableau, a Salesforce company Tableau helps people see and understand data. Tableau’s self-service analytics platform empowers people of any skill level to work with data. From individuals and non-profits to government agencies and the Fortune 500, tens of thousands of customers around the world rely on Tableau’s advanced analytics capabilities to make impactful, data-driven decisions. For more information, please visit www.tableau.com. About Salesforce Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Founded in 1999, Salesforce enables companies of every size and industry to take advantage of powerful technologies—cloud, mobile, social, internet of things, artificial intelligence, voice and blockchain—to create a 360-degree view of their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com About Vitreous World Vitreous World is a leading consultancy delivering global data solutions to marketing and media industry stakeholders. The core team currently has over 200 years of collective research knowledge and is the home of trusted data. The experienced team has founded – or joined – some of the industry’s leading accreditation schemes including being founders of the Public Relations and Communications Association Research Best Practice Committee, and a Market Research Society Company Partner. For more information, please visit www.vitreousworld.com.
Blended Learning must be part of education’s ‘new normal’
By Dr Junaid Mubeen, Director of Education, Whizz Education In brief Blended learning is back, but faces a backlash for fear that online learning is diluting the quality of human-led instruction. The intention of blended learning is to exploit the best of online and offline instruction so that teachers are freed up to do their best work. Blended learning affords flexibility with respect to access, which is paramount in the context of Covid-19 but must also be embraced as part of education’s new normal. Blended learning is undergoing a revival. With few certainties around the shape of schooling during Covid-19, there is a growing recognition that education must happen both online and offline, in school and at home. But support for blended learning is far from unanimous. Many parents feel burdened by the expectation that they administer part of their children’s education from home – ‘Blended learning will break me’, says one, ‘that or the guilt of not doing much’. In response, some governments are rowing back on their commitment to this new delivery model – the Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is among those adamant that ‘we don’t want blended learning to last a single minute longer than is necessary.’ The revival may be short-lived. Much of the pushback against blended learning stems from a particular interpretation that online learning is a diluted form of instruction. The sight of talking heads presiding over Powerpoint presentations, or clunky attempts to replicate classroom dynamics via Zoom, has only added fuel to the scepticism. What is blended learning, really? Blended learning is not simply about switching one form of instruction for another, lesser form. The clue is in the name: it is a matter of understanding each delivery medium – whether the chalkface or the world wide web – and exploiting the affordances of each. Technology should not be thought of as a substitute for teachers but rather an aid; a means of augmenting and upskilling their capabilities. Put another way, blended learning challenges us to consider where teachers add distinct value, and which aspects of their role can be outsourced to online, automated delivery so that they can maximise the time they spend with their students. No teacher can realistically assess and differentiate their teaching for upwards of thirty students consistently; no teacher among the many thousands we have worked with expresses a desire to do so. Digital technologies have given us new prospects: a virtual tutor, for instance, can automatically assess students, prepare individualised learning plans and adapt instruction according to their specific needs. In doing so, it relieves teachers of the burden of having to design content and assess students at every turn. Teachers can instead focus their precious time on analysing the resulting insights and planning more targeted lessons that build on that which students have covered online. Blended learning comes in many shapes and sizes, and is ultimately based on the premise that teachers will be empowered when they gain more time to devote to the higher-order aspects of their role. This articulation of blended learning offers assurance to parents, too, that the learning their children undertake online need not be watered down. The online component is merely an effective means of ensuring students have acquired core knowledge and skills at their own pace (especially when the digital medium is tapped into to make content more interactive and engaging). The upshot is that, by delegating this part of instruction to technology, teachers are better equipped to tend to students’ individual needs when they do meet up, and to facilitate tasks that build on what they have encountered online. Blended learning is no free lunch, of course. The design of online learning experiences, from the content itself to pacing and feedback, requires careful and deliberate consideration to prevent tame mimicry of traditional teaching. Teachers, in turn, must be trained and supported to utilise the potential of these technologies; to become literate in learning analytics, for example, and understand how they can inform more differentiation in their own teaching. Blended learning is achieved only when teachers feel secure and confident in the technologies at their disposal. The access barrier Perhaps the biggest caveat of all with blended learning comes with the question of access. Online learning remains a distant reality for many children. Our own data has brought into focus the stark digital divide that exists between and even within nations. At a recent conference organised by Whizz Education, ministry representatives from twelve African nations confirmed that the predominant medium for reaching their most marginalised communities was not the internet but broadcast (television and radio in particular). The technology divide is not merely a phenomenon of ‘developing’ countries: in the UK, some 34 percent of families currently lack access to internet-enabled devices, leaving their children with scant educational provision during school closures. As long as this access barrier remains, blended learning is something of a misnomer. But to reject online learning outright is to deny children their right to a stable learning experience. UNESCO reports that over 60% of students have been affected by school closures. The traditional view of bricks-and-mortar schooling as the only means of acquiring knowledge has been brutally exposed by the pandemic. For many children right now, the internet is the only portal to quality learning content. With that recognition, a cross-party effort is underway in the UK to expand connectivity to the most deprived families, and similar initiatives are being pursued the world over. Preparing for disruption Several years ago, the Christensen Institute articulated blended learning as a means of providing increased student control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of learning. It was a framework rooted in Clayten Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation; a term that may have felt provocative at the time. Yet here we are, faced with a disruption of a different kind, the unprecedented threats of Covid-19, where the flexibility promoted by blended learning has never been more paramount. There will be more disruptions to come; our preparedness will be determined by our
Fiona Miller – Director of People Programmes at IGD
“With 18-24 year olds disproportionately affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, it is more vital than ever that businesses work in partnership with education and government to support the employment prospects of young people. “This month, the Government’s Skills and Post-16 Education Bill has been introduced, aiming to create a system that is fit for the future, providing the skills that people need for well-paid jobs and opportunities to train throughout their lifetime. At IGD, we are committed to playing our part in creating that system. “The food and consumer goods industry is the largest private sector employer, employing one in seven people in the UK, and IGD is uniquely placed to bring together industry professionals and young people to deliver nationwide skills development programmes to tackle this societal challenge at scale. “We harness the passion our industry has for people development and by working together, to date we’ve given 60,000 young people vital employability skills training to develop their capability and potential to thrive in the workplace. “We’re working in partnership with Job Centre Plus, secondary schools and colleges and some of the biggest names in the FMCG industry to deliver large scale work experience programmes to thousands of young people, and our virtual work experience week [24 May – 28 May] will highlight the skills needed for a career in the industry. We’re bringing together professionals from major retailers and manufacturers, from CEOs to apprentices, to run daily masterclasses on sales and marketing, engineering and technology. “As well as supporting young, unemployed people, this week is open to students in higher education, and secondary school students in years 10-13, so we can provide experiences of the working world to students who would normally be undertaking physical work placements at the time. “It’s great to see this work experience programme having an impact, with 91% of previous participants telling us it’s developed their skills and 86% telling us they’re more confident about their employment prospects. Many have got in touch to tell us how this support has already helped them to secure a job! These actions will provide vital support and training to kick-start young peoples’ careers at a time when they need it most. It also supports the attraction of young talent into our fast-paced, innovative and resilient industry. For further information, please visit: https://www.igd.com/social-impact/feeding-britains-future/work-experience
Educators to receive greater recognition in historic chemistry prizes overhaul.
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has more than doubled the number of prizes open to educators, as part of a major overhaul of its established recognition structures to be fairer, more inclusive and representative of modern chemical science. The announcement comes a year on from the closure of all schools, nurseries, colleges and universities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and requirement for students and teachers to rapidly adapt to home-based learning. The RSC is aiming to recognise the valiant efforts of the nation’s inspiring educators after confirming it has increased the number of its education prizes from five to 11 across all levels of education. It comes as part the membership body’s reforms of one of the oldest portfolios of scientific prizes in the world. Nominations for the education prizes have also been moved to a less busy period in the academic calendar – from the previous November window – to help ease time pressures on applicants. Dr Helen Pain, acting chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “Educators play such an important role in chemical sciences and we want to reflect just how much we value that contribution to training the next generation with a greater representation within our prizes structure. “We were determined to do this even before COVID-19 struck, but the last year more than any other in recent history has highlighted just what an amazing a job our educators do, from primary school level all the way up to higher education. “I’m particularly proud of this increased focus on education and look forward to helping give even greater recognition to the incredible work being done here.” The new education awards are split into two overall categories: the Excellence in Education Prizes, and the Horizon Prizes for Education, nominations for both open on 19 April. The Excellence in Education Prizes will celebrate the inspirational, innovative and dedicated people working in a wide variety of roles at all levels of education. From teachers to technicians, these prizes are aimed at recognising a wide range of skills from curriculum design to effective teaching, personal development and working culture. The new Horizon Prizes for Education will celebrate the ground-breaking innovations and initiatives that mark a step change in education. This could include teaching programmes or techniques, research breakthroughs or innovative technology. Samia El-Ali, Head of Chemistry at Claremont High School – part of the working group that proposed the new awards – said: “As teachers, lecturers and technicians we often go to extraordinary lengths to ensure our students are not just informed but inspired about chemistry and the world around them. It’s exciting that the RSC will be offering an even bigger platform on which to recognise these efforts – not only to celebrate individual or team creativity, but also to inspire other educators who may be searching for a new way to look at how to engage with their students. “Similarly, the world of teaching at all levels is increasingly filled with fantastic innovations, for example new apps and teaching methods that have overcome both old and new barriers to education. COVID in particular is a great example of this, where not having access to equipment in the classroom or university lab has been overcome by some fantastic creative thinking. “That’s why we’re so excited to introduce the new Horizon Prizes for Education, which will champion and celebrate these innovations. “I believe the new structure will encourage champions of the diverse chemistry communities to be nominated, recognised and represented. The new prizes have been designed to recognise the incredible work of technicians as well as teachers, and to highlight the collaborative nature of chemistry education.” The RSC has also implemented changes to its overall recognition structure, with the new Horizon Prizes placing more emphasis on teams and collaborations for scientific endeavour. The number of prizes for individuals, meanwhile, has been reduced by two thirds, with categories to be more evenly distributed across career stages, sectors and subfields. The changes come as part of a sweeping review of recognition from the Royal Society of Chemistry, which has set in motion several changes designed to make its prizes fairer, more inclusive and more representative of chemical science today. Following an independent review carried out last year, the Royal Society of Chemistry pledged to implement a five-point plan to achieve those goals: Place more emphasis on great science, not just individuals; including teams, technicians and multidisciplinary collaborations. Give greater recognition to the people who teach chemistry and inspire the amazing scientists of the future Showcase leaders, regardless of their normal job or role, who go above and beyond to break down barriers in the chemical sciences and open up new and extraordinary opportunities in science Celebrate the scientific breakthroughs that transform our understanding of the world and solve major issues like climate change Set conduct expectations and revoke prizes when those expectations are not met Deirdre Black, Head of Research and Innovation at the RSC, said: “Recognition is an important mechanism not just to celebrate fantastic endeavour and incredible science, it has a hugely influential role in inspiring new ideas and the next generation of scientists. That’s why it is so important to ensure that it reflects the work taking place today. “Equally important is making sure that these prizes are fair. Inclusion and diversity is a key theme that runs through the reformed prizes portfolio. Every stage of the process, from nomination to the awarding of the prize itself, has been assessed and changes made where necessary to ensure the process is as fair and equitable as possible.” To find out more about the new Education prizes and to nominate, visit: https://www.rsc.org/prizes-funding/prizes/ For more information about the RSC’s new awards portfolio, visit: https://www.rsc.org/news-events/features/2020/oct/recognising-excellence-prizes-for-a-modern-world/
Smartick – maths initiative to create equal opportunities for children in need
AN innovative maths program has launched a new charity initiative to help children in need advance in their maths education. For every subscription of Smartick taken out, the platform will donate another to a child who needs it as part of its 1=1 campaign. The brand is passionate about creating equal opportunities for all children and wants to help them stay on track with their schoolwork whether they have been affected by Covid-19, childhood cancer or simply don’t have access to quality education due to their socio-economic situation. Smartick enables children aged four-to-14 brush up on their maths skills with just 15 minutes of learning a day. It uses a complex AI system to create unique online training for individuals based on their academic level in real time. While this may sound great for parents and teachers, what makes it even more appealing to children is that following their learning they are rewarded with gems to spend in a virtual world to create avatars and play further games. Javier Arroyo, Co-founder of Smartick, said: “At Smartick we help children through maths and brain training games to ensure their academic level continues to improve in an innovative, enjoyable and effective way. “For children who may be out of school due to ill health, the program helps to get them back on track with their learning to make going back to school easier. It also helps to improve their cognitive skills and reinforces their self-esteem in a way that is both different and enjoyable.” Millions of children have been affected by the pandemic with research showing they are months behind in their learning. Studies also show that in developing countries, more than 80% of childhood cancer survivors need academic support in the hospital and at home. The best thing about Smartick is that it can be used anywhere on a tablet or laptop. Children don’t need to travel and can learn from hospital or at home after school or during the holidays. For those who may tire easily, the Smartick method only requires 15 minutes of learning a day for participants to start seeing improvements – in fact 94% of children improve their calculation, logic and reasoning abilities. Javier added: “We developed the program by working with education experts from around the world. Smartick helps kids solidify their maths foundation by identifying learning gaps and areas that need improvement. Only when they have mastered the focus area are they able to move on to the next step of learning. “We believe that just 15 minutes is all it takes to keep children’s attention. Data also suggests this repetitive time frame is much more sustainable than say, a two-hour maths session once a week.” Dr Barbara Oakley, renowned education expert, also backs the program. She said: “Smartick is an intelligent, sophisticated program. The thing I really like about it is that it is rigorously research based and allows students to progress as the speed that they should be progressing at. It’s not this one size fits all approach that we often see in education.” The program is available to download onto computers, tablets and iPads. For more information visit uk.smartickmethod.com/ or discover more by listening to Smartick’s Future Minds podcast. As part of the 1=1 campaign for each program downloaded, another will be donated, free of charge, to those in need. To find out more or to get in touch email hello@smartickmethod.com
Dollar Academy becomes the first independent school in the UK to receive Food for Life Green Kitchen Standard Award
Leading independent school Dollar Academy has become the first in the UK to be awarded the Food for Life Green Kitchen Standard Award, in recognition of their extensive sustainability practices. Issued by Food for Life, a Soil Association programme that works to make good food available to all, the Green Kitchen Standard Award recognises organisations that sustainably manage their energy, water and waste, in line with the requirements of the Defra Plan for Public Procurement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Dollar Academy has introduced a number of other sustainability-led initiatives in recent years, which include hosting the first ever UK summit tackling sustainability and education, conducting a carbon survey of the entire school and creating a pupil-led steering group looking at lifestyle and behavioural habits. Justin Wilkes, Bursar of Dollar Academy said, “At Dollar, we are committed to enhancing the environment via a range of initiatives including reviewing transport options, enhanced recycling facilities and student initiatives such as Bee Club, which has seen the introduction of an apiary to the school grounds. “We will continue to build on the progress already made, in line with the growing urgency of the global sustainability movement and our responsibility, as educators, to equip young people with the knowledge and skills required to tackle the climate crisis. “We would like to thank Fergus Small at Scrutiny Outsourcing for his invaluable help and guidance in securing this award.” Sophia Koniarska, Associate Director, Food for Life, Soil Association said: “We are delighted that Dollar Academy has been awarded the Food for Life Green Kitchen Standard (GKS) award. “Not only does this demonstrate their commitment to their whole school community but reflects best practice requirements in carbon, energy, water and waste, recognising the role they play in responding to the climate emergency we all face. “Congratulations on achieving the award and we hope this shows an example to others how practical actions such as GKS can have a positive impact for people and planet.”