Majority of education professionals feel stressed about finding a new role in the current climate
A brand new study from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, reveals that a staggering 75% of education professionals feel stressed about trying to find a new role in the current climate, with one in four (25.4%) admitting that they’ve put their job search on hold due to COVID-19. The study surveyed 1,100 professionals and found that 93.8% of people working in the education sector were hoping to find a new job in 2020. Amongst professionals who have put a pause on their job search, 66.7% said they won’t start looking again until lockdown is completely lifted and 26.7% said they’ll start searching again later in the year. The findings show that people who aren’t currently working are naturally the most stressed about finding a new role; with 87.5% of people who are unemployed and 90.9% of education professionals on furlough admitting that they feel this way. The figure dropped to 63.6% amongst people working part-time and 60% amongst people working full time. Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “With a new decade comes a desire for change and a lot of people had big intentions for 2020. Whether that was to find a new job, set-up a new business or embark on an exciting new career path. Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has flipped the world on its head and forced people to abandon these plans, which is resulting in a lot of angst and uncertainty. “For employers and recruiters, the fact that more people are wanting to change jobs is a massive positive, but we know that organisations are already making difficult decisions around their existing workforce. While job vacancies are starting to pick back up, opportunities have been limited over the past few months and this is naturally making job seekers feel nervous.” Amongst the 74.6% of respondents in the education industry who said they hadn’t paused their job search during the pandemic, only 22.7% said they’ve been able to find a new role during this time. However, this figure rose to 53.3% amongst candidates in the public sector, 42.9% in property, 37.5% in recruitment, 32% in manufacturing and 24% in social care. Biggins continues: “Certain industries are undoubtedly going to be more affected than others throughout the pandemic and we’ve certainly seen more jobs being advertised within the public sector and social care. It’s a stressful time for hiring professionals and job seekers, so try to be as sensitive as you can when handling applications. Communication is going to be key in this critical stage.”
New GCSE qualifications must reflect our changing world
GCSEs in Wales don’t reflect the needs of society as we rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic – and leave teenagers unprepared for life, says the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. The current crisis has illustrated the need for change to education, said Sophie Howe, who is calling on Welsh Government to further consider replacing the qualifications. Year 11 pupils will this summer be given GCSE grades based on evidence, including teachers’ assessments, after exams were cancelled because of school closures. Ms Howe said she hoped such an approach would be extended when schools reopen, arguing the pandemic has provided a pilot for moving away from testing at age 16. The commissioner favours pupil-centred assessments, reflecting the new Curriculum for Wales 2022. Her latest Future Generations Report calls for a “radical rethink” of GCSEs. Qualifications Wales (QW) has just published its vision for qualifications in the future, reporting plans to update content and assessment of GCSEs to meet future needs and reflect and support the new curriculum. In its consultation, QW suggested it will bring in new work-related qualifications and move schools away from so-called ‘teaching to the test’, where lessons are focused on pupils passing an exam. Ms Howe, whose role is to protect future generations from the political actions of today, is now urging Welsh Government to reflect the Well-being of Future Generations Act in its approach to the new qualifications. “The education system prepares young people for exams. Education has to go beyond that and prepare us for life,” she said. “Teaching young people to think long-term, seek to prevent problems and collaborate with others is critical.” While the pandemic has brought huge challenges, Ms Howe said it has also given us an opportunity to reevaluate how we teach our children. She said: “As a result of the pandemic, schools are showing that they can assess pupils in a fairer way than testing the knowledge which can be regurgitated in two hours. “The world is changing. I’d like to see GCSEs better skilling our young people as global citizens trained in the latest technology.” The climate crisis is impacting work, community and well-being, said the commissioner – and education needs to quickly adapt to the challenge. She has called for a Universal Basic Income, a four-day working week and for Welsh Government to commit to a green recovery from COVID-19, since her Future Generations Report was published in March. In a paper outlining five steps to reset the economy, Ms Howe asked ministers to show political courage while ‘building back better’, with a focus on quality of life over GDP. An emphasis on teaching creativity, resilience, innovative thinking and design, says the commissioner, could help enable Wales to be a leader in the low carbon revolution. She said: “Wales is going to need to teach more care-givers, more green employees to help meet carbon emission targets in Wales and the UK. “Providing people with education and the opportunity to develop the right set of skills for their future improves health, socio-economic position and life expectancy. “We need to react positively to the changes in how we’re living, to ensure people have the right skills for our future Wales.” The Future Generations Report also found Welsh schools need more diversity, particularly more Black Asian and minority ethnic role models. The commissioner backed a petition calling for Black and POC UK histories to be taught in the Welsh curriculum. She recently made a statement on the need for people in power to work to dismantle systemic racism in Wales and the rest of the UK. The emotional impacts of COVID-19 on communities are going to be felt long into the future, she said, adding mental health and well-being education should be prioritised in the delivery of the curriculum. The Children’s Commissioner for Wales has published the results of a young person’s survey, Coronavirus and Me, where many reported a pleasure in spending time with family and enjoying the outdoors during lockdown, while 16% of secondary age pupils felt sad ‘most of the time’. Ms Howe said: “Teaching skills like team-work, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and problem-solving are vital if we’re to nurture a generation of emotionally resilient children. “That’s the education they need to help prevent cycles of lifelong inequality and adversity.”
Online learning platform Firefly acquires SchoolPost to improve teacher parent communications
Firefly Learning, the leading provider of education technology for learning continuity and parental engagement, announces the acquisition of SchoolPost, a leading school-home communications tool. SchoolPost brings together email, SMS, secure web-based messaging, alongside online reply and consent forms into an integrated, interactive and customisable package. It will help schools to improve their communications with parents at a particularly crucial time during lockdown with the majority of school pupils home learning. A recent analysis of over 400,000 Firefly users over the lockdown period found that parental engagement has increased by 8 times. SchoolPost will ensure parental engagement is at the heart of education. Simon Hay, Co-founder and CEO of Firefly said .“Our mission is to supercharge the school experience so every student can reach their full potential. With many traditional channels now impossible, dialogue has become harder just as schools must enrol millions of parents to support more directly their children’s learning. We’re delighted to be working with the SchoolPost team. This deal accelerates our plans to give parents a one-stop shop for all their school interactions.” James Barrell, Co-founder and Commercial Director of SchoolPost, said “It has been an amazing journey growing SchoolPost so far, and we believe that combining forces with a larger organisation with a shared vision and values will help us to continue to build on this. We’re confident that Firefly will be a great long-term home.” The SchoolPost team will continue to develop and support their product just as they do today, but with the backing and resources of the wider Firefly team to help accelerate their plans.
Tender success as Magna become approved contractor to schools
Warwickshire based Magna IM has been appointed by Crescent Purchasing Consortium to become an approved contractor of maintenance work to schools across the West Midlands. The framework provides schools across the UK with access to services from approved contractors for a wide range of maintenance services. Magna IM was added to the framework following a selection process which included demonstration of value for money, local knowledge and previous experience within the sector. Kevin McMullan, Commercial Director said, “Our appointment to the Crescent Purchasing Consortium is another great result for the team and a credit to the hard work they have put in. It is great to see our experience in the sector being recognised and opening more opportunities for us to develop further within the school’s sector. We have built a reputation over many years for delivering a first-class service and value for money to our customers in both the commercial and residential sectors which was acknowledged by the Crescent Purchasing Consortium on our appointment.” The Crescent Purchasing Consortium is a UK wide framework which provides its members with access to suppliers for both planned and responsive maintenance. It covers all electrical, heating, air conditioning, water and ventilation needs that a school may have. Schools have faced a challenging time during the Coronavirus pandemic and many classrooms remain empty as the unprecedented school closures continue. However, whilst schools are closed it presents a perfect opportunity for any works to be carried out and many are using this time wisely, implementing LED motion sensor lighting to reduce the need for touching switches. Magna IM operates in Warwickshire and the West Midlands as well as London and the South East and have been providing full property maintenance services to both commercial and residential customers for over 20 years.
Immersive learning Augmented Reality App “Outside 3D” Launches
A new education Augmented Reality [AR] app, Outside 3D, which brings immersive learning to the mobile phone has launched. Available on Android and iOS, Outside is an education app that provides immersive unforgettable learning experiences in augmented reality. The app combines simplified explanations of subject matters with incredible live animations, high quality audio narrations, interesting fun facts, and background soundtracks curated and programmed for each individual subject in augmented reality. Learning about the piano, the human spinal cord or the moon has never been so simple; using a smartphone, tap the category or subject in the app, find and scan a flat surface to place the experience, to open up the immersive experience, where users can start learning. The app comes with a selection of AR content that can be enjoyed for free and for a monthly subscription of $1.99 per month, users can get unlimited access to all content, categories, games, new weekly content and more. Moving beyond the four walls of a classroom, the Outside 3D team has worked with teachers and education professionals to develop rich, engaging content around subject matters ranging from science and technology, music, art, history and space exploration. Users can come face-to-face with an Angler Fish, and discover details such as their nickname being “Sea Devils”. In the sports section, they’ll find out that footballer Cristiano Ronaldo can jump higher than any basketball player in the NBA [whilst watching him do keepy uppies on the dining room table]. And did you know that some asteroids have their own moons? Users will find out whilst having one rotate on the coffee table. Speaking on building the school of the future, founder and CEO, Toro Orero says, “Most young people love learning but don’t necessarily like the process of education in its current or traditional form. That is why we have created Outside 3D. We believe that knowledge should be experienced and not seen as a chore. Experiential learning is one of the most powerful ways to learn, and Outside 3D brings this power to you by helping you experience what you learn.” In the current climate, where millions of young learners around the world have been forced out of the classroom due to COVID-19 and both teachers and parents are moving online to ensure continuity of education, technology continues to be adopted as a primary resource for learning remotely. Apps like Outside 3D are well positioned to complement the existing learning processes, through AR, putting the power of knowledge acquisition quite literally in the palm of users’ hands. Outside 3D is innovating in the ever-growing global e-learning market, currently set at $190 billion and expected to grow to $300 billion by 2025. According to a recent study, augmented reality increases general engagement and long term memory retention. Experiential learning is also regarded as one of the most powerful and efficient ways to learn. As part of the launch, the Outside team has built an Augmented Reality game within the app where subscribers can participate in an exciting treasure hunt in a virtual city and win prizes. In addition to the consumer-facing app, Outside 3D is also working with individuals, schools or organizations to develop white label AR immersive content for providing personalized products. Outside 3D is the brainchild of Toro Orero, a Nigerian entrepreneur, who started his career as a games, animation and software designer and developer, before he moved into the venture capital space, working as a Managing Partner of DDF, a Silicon Valley seed fund for African startups. Toro concludes, “Education and the learning process has always been a passion of mine and with Outside 3D, I’m combining this with my love of technology and product building. With the current global pandemic situation, now is a good time for education providers and parents to explore and adopt new ways of keeping young people engaged and hungry to know more about the world in which they live”.
Half of UK parents uncomfortable with children returning to school after COVID-19 lockdown
Half of UK parents do not feel comfortable about their children returning to school following lockdown, according to early results from a new study asking parents and carers about their children’s mental health through the COVID-19 crisis. More than 10,000 parents have now taken part in the Co-SPACE (COVID-19 Supporting Parents, Adolescents, and Children in Epidemics) survey led by experts at the University of Oxford. Parents, completing the survey since the Government announced the phased return of schools, were asked how they feel about their children returning to school. Notably, parents from lower income households and those not working felt less comfortable than those with higher incomes or those who were employed. There were particular concerns for parents of children with special education needs and/or neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, that their child will not get the emotional, behavioural and educational support that they need, or the support they need with transitions to different groups, classes or schools. Andy Bell, Deputy Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health, said, ‘Parents will naturally be worried about the safety of their children when they go back to school. For many parents and children, especially the most disadvantaged, anxieties that have built up over recent weeks will make the return to school a very worrying time. It’s therefore vital that all schools are fully and properly prepared to create a sense of safety when children return. Children’s mental health cannot be left to chance.’ Parents and carers are concerned about the practicalities of children returning to school, such as managing social distancing, as well as their children, or them, catching or transmitting COVID-19. Only a minority of children and young people are perceived by their parents to not feel comfortable attending school. Parents perceive their children to be most concerned about things being different or uncertain and the enjoyable aspects of school not happening. Other worries relate to friendships and social distancing. While primary school aged children appear to be concerned about being away from home and transitions, secondary school aged children appear to be more concerned about catching COVID-19 and academic pressures. Parents of children with special education needs and/or neurodevelopmental disorders highlighted particular concerns around their children getting sufficient emotional, behavioural and educational support, around support around transitions to new schools or classes. These parents, along with those of children with a pre-existing mental health difficulties, report that their children are particularly concerned about things being uncertain or different, changes to routine, the enjoyable parts of school not happening, and being away from home. Professor Tamsin Ford, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the University of Cambridge, said, ‘It is really important to understand the concerns of parents about their children going back to school so that schools and local services can best support families, and Co-SPACE provides some really useful data about this. The impact of the lockdown will vary according to the home and school circumstances of the child, as well as their age, as will the support needed. Co-SPACE provides important information about which groups might need additional support such as children with special educational needs or disability, mental health difficulties and neurodevelopmental disorder, such as autism. Children with these conditions may find going back to school particularly difficult.’ The Co-SPACE (COVID-19 Supporting Parents, Adolescents, and Children in Epidemics) survey is still open and looking for parents and carers to share their experiences www.cospaceoxford.com/survey. This research is tracking children and young people’s mental health throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Survey results are helping researchers identify what protects children and young people from deteriorating mental health, over time, and at particular stress points, and how this may vary according to child and family characteristics. This will help to identify what advice, support and help parents would find most useful. This research is supported through UKRI Covid-19 funding, and by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, the Oxford and Thames Valley NIHR Applied Research Consortium and the UKRI Emerging Minds Network Plus.
Employer confidence slowly picks up in education industry, as jobs and applications rise
The latest job market data from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, reveals that employer confidence started to pick back up in the education industry last month as lockdown restrictions eased, with job vacancies rising by 18.7% month-on-month. The study looks at job market data throughout May and compares this with figures from the previous month (April 2020) and year (May 2019), to build an understanding of how the UK labour market is really fairing right now. It reveals that applications for jobs in the education sector also rose by an impressive 35.7% month-on-month. However, when looking at year-on-year data, the findings show that job vacancies are still 38.2% lower than a year ago, while applications to these roles are also down 10.1% year-on-year. Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, the market is starting to show signs of recovery and it’s promising to see job numbers picking back up. However, there’s still a long way to go and we cannot expect figures to return to normal overnight, especially when businesses are under a lot of financial pressure.” Alongside the above, CV-Library’s data shows that competition for education jobs is intensifying. In fact, when looking at the amount of applications per vacancy, this figure has risen by 45.3% year-on-year (6.26 apps per vacancy in May 2020 compared to 4.31 in May 2019). Biggins continues: “The fact that there are less jobs being advertised than normal, and more professionals entering the job market, means competition for jobs is already beginning to intensify. This will put employers in a favourable position as the labour market continues to shift, but it’s important for companies across the industry to think seriously about their recruitment and retention efforts; especially when the furlough scheme does eventually come to an end.”
Forum issues new safety guide for apprentices preparing to return to college
As Scotland’s colleges and training centres discuss reopening, the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum has helped develop a new set of guidelines designed to keep staff and apprentices safe. Compiled by Forum members the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT), SELECT and SNIPEF, the presentation outlines practical day-to-day measures that colleges and apprentices can take to protect against COVID-19 when studies resume. Its overarching principles are protecting the vulnerable, keeping contact lists updated, providing staff with relevant training, offering suitable facilities for hand washing etc, and ensuring that physical distancing is properly policed. Other measures in the downloadable PowerPoint, entitled Lessons to be Learned, include: Face coverings – ensuring apprentices cover their faces in enclosed places where it is difficult to keep 2m away from others. This covering can be made of cloth or other textile through which people can breathe, e.g. a scarf. Travel to college – physical distancing is advised when travelling in vehicles to and from college, with single occupancy of vehicles being preferable. If this is not possible, apprentices should sit as far apart as the vehicle allows. Tools, equipment and plant – all tools and equipment should be properly sanitised as frequently as possible to prevent cross-contamination, with cleaning materials provided. Only one person should use the same equipment and plant. Toilet facilities – restrict the number of people using toilets at any one time and ensure a physical distance of 2m is maintained. Ensure visual hand washing guides are clearly visible and enhance the cleaning regime, particularly door handles, locks and flush handles. Canteens and eating arrangements – apprentices and students should be encouraged to bring a packed lunch and flask, break times should be staggered, everyone should wash their hands before eating and hand sanitiser provided. In addition, diners should sit 2m apart, pre-packed food should only be sold and contactless or card payments used. Corridors – wherever possible, introduce a one-way system on access routes, making clear there is one door in and another door out and marking up walkways to clearly indicate 2m spacing. First aiders – to avoid risk of infection, responders should minimise hand contamination, avoid touching their face and clean their hands frequently. FFP3 or FFP2 masks, gloves, aprons and eye protection should be worn during treatment, with any disposable PPE disposed of afterwards. Cleaning – ensure all frequently-touched objects and surfaces are regularly cleaned and disinfected. Risk assessments – all documentation for workshops and classrooms should be reviewed before colleges reopen and should align with any relevant Scottish Government guidelines. The guidance also urges college staff to make apprentices aware of cough etiquette and other do’s and don’ts, as well as alerting them to the symptoms of Coronavirus and what to do if they start to display them. It is also says staff should share the guidance with all lecturers and apprentices on a continual basis, with any apprentice not following the rules reported to their training provider for immediate action. The guidance was compiled by Fiona Harper, SELECT’s Director of Employment and Skills and The Secretary of the SJIB, and Barrie McKay, Training and Development Manager at SECTT. Other essential input came from members of the CICV Forum Health & Safety Sub-Group, including Martyn Raine, Technical and Skills Manager at the employers’ federation SNIPEF. Fiona said: “With ongoing discussions about the resumption of studies, we are all obviously keen that apprentice safety is put firmly at the forefront. “These recommendations are designed to be practical and easy to follow, with clear guidance on how to protect both apprentices and the college facilities themselves from the ongoing thereat of Coronavirus.” To help spread the message even wider, the presentation is being adapted into an animation that will be shared on social media and websites, encouraging apprentices to stay safe during their studies. Fiona added: “In everything we’re doing, the message is clear: We must work together to stop this virus, safeguard the young people in our industry and protect our wider communities and families.” Download the guidance from www.cicvforum.co.uk/downloads
BCMG awarded grant from Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group has been awarded a significant grant to lead a ground-breaking project that supports and develops composing in primary schools. Listen Imagine Compose Primary is a three-year project that will see BCMG work with children, teachers and composers in 6 Birmingham and 3 Bristol primary schools to better understand how children compose and progress as composers. The project also aims to improve the quality and frequency of how and when composing is taught in primary schools. The project is a partnership between BCMG, Sound and Music, Birmingham City University, Birmingham Music Education Partnership, Bristol Plays Music and the individual schools. The main activity in schools will take place between September 2020 and July 2022 and see teachers working alongside professional composers to plan, develop and teach composing to children in Year 4 and then Year 5. The project has a strong research element which will be led by Professor Martin Fautley from Birmingham City University. This will enable the findings of the project to be shared widely and generate a national conversation about composing in primary schools. Nancy Evans, BCMG Director of Learning, explains: “Composing has been part of the national curriculum in the UK since 1987 and is a fundamental part of the development of children’s musicality. However, evidence has shown that, in reality, the amount of composing in primary schools is limited and of variable quality. Similar approaches are taken with all age groups which can mean children make little progress. Teachers can feel restricted by time, space and resources as well as lack confidence and skills. This project will allow us to address some of these issues and influence how composing is taught and learned in primary schools nationally.” In Sound and Music’s recent national survey #CanCompose, 95% of teacher respondents said that they thought young people need more opportunities to create and compose music. 54% said that CPD for themselves and colleagues would be the key thing that would benefit their pupils learning to compose and 39% reported never having had any CPD for teaching composing or creative music making. 53% of school-based teachers cited ‘opportunities to work with professional composers’ as a key thing that would benefit their pupils in learning to compose. Judith Robinson, Head of Education, Sound and Music says: “I am thrilled and excited that our partners, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, have secured such a significant award from Paul Hamlyn Foundation for Listen Imagine Compose Primary. Listen Imagine Compose Primary enables us to work towards achieving a number of the recommendations we made as a result of our #CanCompose report.” Professor Martin Fautley, Birmingham City University, Faculty of Health, Education, and Life Sciences says: “Listen Imagine Compose Primary is a significant piece of both activity and research. It will investigate an area which we currently do not know a great deal about, but which, we hear anecdotally, is one where some primary school teachers can struggle. At a time when all music education in schools is facing problems of one sort or another, this is an important step forwards, which we hope will not only benefit the teachers and the schools, but, importantly, the young people in them.” Catherine Sutton, Head of Programme – Education, Paul Hamlyn Foundation says: “A wealth of research shows that children in schools which are rich in the arts are more resilient, healthier, do better in school, are more likely to vote, to go to university, to get a job and to keep it. PHF is delighted to support Birmingham Contemporary Music Group’s Listen Imagine Compose Primary project. Composition in the primary music curriculum is an area which is often overlooked. This project will offer children opportunities to express themselves creatively and will enhance their learning in this important area. We are keen to support the project’s focus on researching the pedagogies that foster progress in composing and on sustainably developing teachers’ practice.” The Listen Imagine Compose Primary project builds on BCMG’s 20 years of experience working with young people in and out of school through their Learning Programme. www.bcmg.org.uk