Is an ageing workforce good for schools?
As the pension age is set to rise to 67 by 2028, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says the population of the UK is getting both larger and older. As well as finding that the nation’s population reached its highest ever total at 65.6 million in 2016, the ONS also acknowledged that 18 per cent of those living across the UK were 65+. What’s more, 2.4 per cent were 85+. But will an ageing workforce prove beneficial or a hindrance to the nation’s education sector? How are schools and other workplaces across the UK approaching the ageing workforce? A lot of organisations across the UK seem to be unprepared to take on an ageing workforce, if the findings of a survey of 500 UK employers which was published by the Centre for Ageing Better is anything to go by. In fact, 24 per cent of those involved in the study admitted that they weren’t ready to welcome a growing number of older workers and only 20 per cent were currently discussing an ageing workforce strategically in the workplace. 20 per cent of the employers who were questioned noted that managing age diversity in the workplace proved a challenge. Meanwhile, 12 per cent of older employees felt uncomfortable carrying out tasks under younger managers and 10 per cent said the same when the roles were reversed. However, just 33 per cent of the employers involved in the survey stated that they were looking to manage age diversity by giving training, guidance or support to managers in their business. The Centre for Ageing Better’s lead on age-friendly employment Patrick Thomson commented: “The UK workforce is changing — and employers need to catch up. Improving policy and practice, tackling age bias and creating an age-friendly workplace culture is vital to ensuring that people can work for as long as they want to.” Prime Minister Theresa May shared similar views. During her speech on science and modern industrial strategy, the PM stated that employers across the UK have to play their part in meeting the nation’s “grand challenges” when it comes to supporting older employees, pointing out that these members of staff have the right to “enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of having a job if they want one”. One person supporting the views of the PM was the Centre for Ageing Better’s chief executive Anna Dixon. She underlined: “As we live longer, we also need to work for longer. All employers need to adopt age-inclusive practices. Too many older workers are leaving the labour market prematurely at great cost to them personally, as well as the state.” Challenges of an ageing workforce that must be overcome There will, unfortunately, be issues when you have an ageing workforce in a school or other type of business. Depending on the job, for example, some employees will be required to work differently or in another type of capacity as they get older — employers should, and sometimes may be legally obliged — to support these changes by providing older staff members with alternative arrangements or opportunities to develop and learn new skills. Views on retirement have changed quite significantly across the UK too. While in the past it wasn’t uncommon just to finish your 9-5 job and retire immediately, now a lot of older members of staff are looking to scale back their hours and reduce their number of responsibilities in the workplace gradually as they approach — and sometimes go past — their retirement age. Employers should be aiming to support employees if this is the path they want their career routes to take. “Employers who help their staff to make plans for their future career and retirement at an early stage, including consideration of flexible retirement options, have most success in retaining older workers and enabling them to work effectively,” NHS Employers also pointed out. The following findings of a survey by trade union members of the NHS should help those in charge of running education establishments to pinpoint some other key issues regarding having an ageing workforce: More than 80 per cent of members were concerned that their physical and/or emotional health will be impacted if they had to work longer — could you offer staff members the opportunity to work shorter hours, or the chance to work from home, as they age? Furthermore, could you look to install stairlifts depending on the setup of your workplace, which could be beneficial both to employees with disabilities and for supporting an older workforce so they can still perform their job duties? More than 75 per cent of members were concerned they would be unable to continue working in their current roles at the pace required, as well as worried that their performance levels would suffer an evident drop as a result of them getting older — could you offer staff members less strenuous jobs within a company as they age? Much less than half of the members were of the belief that their employer valued older members of staff — are you offering incentives to all your workforce, and not just newcomers? Under 34 per cent of members were of the belief that their employer offered flexible work in a fair manner — is it time to review your company’s shift patterns and how the workload is being distributed? Viewing an ageing workforce positively Having an ageing workforce at your education establishment provides so many benefits. For instance, people who have been at a company or even just within an industry for a long period of time will, obviously, bring so much valuable experience and knowledge of a firm’s products and services. This expertise can be shared among older members of staff to individuals who are just taking their first tentative steps into the world of work. There’ll be so many different views given by a team filled with individuals of various ages too. This diversity should deliver a company with plenty of fresh perspectives, a whole host of ideas, and problem-solving tactics
Why we need to get more tech-savvy Governors into schools
In my opinion governors have a critical role to play in schools. This is why I was happy to join the board of a local school in the past year. They help set out a school’s ethos and vision, take responsibility for financial decisions and spend time analysing data to make recommendations for progress. And crucially, we share our own personal blend of skills and areas of expertise with the school we’re working for. One of my own personal specialisms is technology. The small school at which I am a governor uses EdTech very well and carefully considers technology both for teaching and learning, and for efficiency and effectiveness, particularly for improving parental engagement. I have met with the curriculum lead for computing in my role as governor with responsibility for curriculum, and have explored ways in which the use of some EdTech can be extended and we have a good working professional relationship. But I’m one of the lucky ones – often the link between a governor and teaching staff doesn’t end up being made, or, frequently, technology skills and expertise aren’t represented among the governors. It can be difficulty enough recruiting governors let alone those with specific knowledge or skill in this area. I recently saw research indicating that from the perspective of school leaders, expertise in technology is second only to safeguarding on the list of qualities sought after in governors. Yet the study from Canvas found that it is the most underrepresented area currently on boards – more than a quarter of school leaders put it among the toughest skills to find. Governors have a strategic role and should support the SLT to make good choices when procuring, using and identifying the right EdTech for them – I’ve been a headteacher too, so know how valuable this can be! However, it is not currently an explicit role or requirement under the NGA guidelines. Given the value and potential impact of EdTech I would expect schools to actively engage in using it to support teaching and learning and to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Governors therefore have a critical role. Of course, it is for the teachers – through SLT – to determine how to effectively use EdTech within teaching. But Governors should help direct the process, and query and interrogate evidence around the decisions. The choices regarding procuring, using and identifying the right EdTech are essentially no different to the decisions made on any other initiative or purchase. The key questions are what the impact is and is it value for money. We already have this evaluative role but that outright link to tech expertise isn’t usually made. The implementation of EdTech requires careful consideration in a teaching and learning context. There is a need to ensure that its implementation is properly supported by training and infrastructure and that it actually meets the identified needs. All in all, it can be a challenging process. Currently, it feels like we’re missing opportunities when it comes to EdTech – an area of education that is only going to become more important as technology increasingly impacts all that we do. Teachers must have the key input, but can’t be expected to dedicate their valuable time to researching the options out there and ascertaining whether they’re right strategically for the school. And that’s where governors can come in – we just need more people to volunteer and support schools, particularly where there is uncertainty around technology. After all, our key role is strategic. If there’s one area where external knowledge and understanding is sorely needed in schools in a rapidly changing world, it’s technology. Colin Green is a governor at Colebrook Infant Academy in Swindon, and Director of Education at New Era Education UK
Bett and Learnit collaborate to gather global education professionals
Bett, the world’s oldest and largest EdTech exhibition, today announces a collaboration with Learnit, the brand new, venture-backed conference for the global learning ecosystem. This January, a group of Bett’s 35,000+ visitors, 200+ speakers and 850+ exhibitors will also be able to participate in Learnit at the QEII Centre in Westminster as one of its 1,000+ attendees, 150+ speakers, or 50+ sponsors. Rachel Brodie, Portfolio Director of Bett said, “Bett is the must-attend show for EdTech: for knowledge, for products, for networking, for suppliers, for learning and for the global education community. Learnit is where the global learning ecosystem goes for a conversation about the current state and future of learning. The significance and impact of both of these eventsis clear; they bring people together who believe education can change the world.That’s why we’re excited to welcome Learnit to London in the same week as Bett.” Katy Fryatt, Founder & CEO of Learnit said, “Change has never been this fast. The conversation and community at Learnit will explore what this means for learning at every age. Learnit welcomes government, educator leaders, heads of talent & training, startups, tech companies, investors and media from across the globe. Bett has long been the world’s largest and most important global EdTech gathering. It’s a fantastic place for teachers to see and experience the latest advances in education technology. We’re very excited to collaborate with Bett.” Before joining Bett, Rachel was an education publisher at Macmillan and also spent time teaching in Mexico City. Katy and Rachel spent a brief time working together on Bett in 2015. Katy spent the last three years working for Anil Aggarwal building Europe’s largest fintech and retail innovation conferences (Money20/20 Europe and Shoptalk Europe). Anil is a venture-backed tech entrepreneur with exits to companies including Google. He also joins Learnit as its Chairman and Co-Founder. “It’s time to rethink learning,” said Anil. “Our global education systems have been built on legacy. Learnit will celebrate the revolutionaries driving change in education and create an entirely new experience for the global learning ecosystem.” Bett will continue to take place at the ExCeL Centre, in east London, welcoming visitors from January 23 – 26, 2019. Learnit will take place in Westminster at the QEII Centre and Central Hall, from the evening of January 23 – 25, 2019. Visitors can register for Bett at www.bettshow.com and tickets for Learnit can be purchased here. Code QA100 gets readers £100 off general tickets at Learnit! About Bett Bett is the UK’s leading cross-sector education community. Every year Bett brings together 850 leading companies, 100 EdTech start-ups and over 35,000 learners and educators from around the globe. Bett’s mission is to bring together people, ideas, practices and technologies so that educators and learners can fulfil their potential. About Learnit At Learnit, we believe an event that unites the global learning community and leads an intellectually honest conversation about the current state and future of learning, can revolutionise education, and ultimately change the world. The Learnit community is inclusive, disruptive, bold and brave. It encompasses the entire learning ecosystem – from government, educators, corporates and established solution providers to tech startups, investors and media. It is united by a common goal to improve education outcomes globally. Learnit’s conversation is open and honest. It’s a conversation about how to give everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity or wealth, the opportunity to reach their greatest potential in a rapidly evolving world. It is untethered by legacy, politics or geography. Learnit’s 150+ international speakers are selected based on merit, not pay-to-play.
Fire safety in schools: a guide
Ashfords legal, professional and regulatory services experts offer advice on how to keep your pupils safe in the event of a fire, and what to do to ensure you are meeting regulations on fire safety in schools… Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June last year, the importance of fire safety systems has come in to focus. One sector reviewing this area is education. Many school buildings have cladding which is not fire resistant and contains asbestos. Often, schools are not fitted with sprinkler systems. Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, recently announced that a future Labour government will put sprinkler systems in all new school buildings and pay to remove asbestos and flammable cladding from existing sites. This commitment forms part of a £14 billion capital investment pledged by Labour, which the party claims will “bring all schools up to a good standard”. In addition, the government has been forced to review the guidance on sprinklers in schools having previously claimed that additional spending on sprinklers would outweigh any savings in preventing damage to school buildings. The guidance was previously the subject of a consultation in August 2016 which proposed changes to its wording. The changes were notable as they removed the expectation that most new school buildings would be fitted with sprinklers. Despite criticism of the changes suggested in the consultation, the government insisted the recommendation was only a change of language, not of actual rules governing sprinkler installation. However, figures released recently by School’s Week revealed that of the 260 schools rebuilt as part of phase one of the government’s priority school building programme, just 74 have, or are planned to have, sprinklers fitted. Furthermore, according to David Amess, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for fire safety, since 2010 the proportion of new school buildings installing sprinkler systems has plummeted from 70 per cent to 35 per cent. Requirements for fire safety in schools: Schools are required to undertake risk assessments to identify the general fire precautions needed to safeguard the safety of occupants in case of fire, including their safe means of escape. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) fire legislation has become simplified. The Department for Communities and Local Government has produced a guide for schools – fire safety risk assessment: educational premises. The guide deals with the provision and management of fire safety. You will need to: ensure procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of fire; maintain fire detection and alarm systems; ensure staff and pupils are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures; and calculate the numbers of persons likely to be in any areas of assembly and ensure your exit capacities are sufficient for those numbers. It is important that: fire risk assessments are kept up to date; and fire precautions remain current and adequate (they should be reviewed in detail when significant alterations are made to a school’s premises). Ashfords is a national provider of legal, professional and regulatory services. If you require support in relation to fire safety or further information please contact a member of Ashfords’ Regulatory Consultancy team.
Trybooking – putting the spotlight on ticket sales
How many hours have your staff spent organising events, selling tickets, collecting cash, giving refunds, explaining the details of the events to parents, all during the school’s busiest periods? Trybooking is a service which does all the legwork for staff and can be used from parents’ evening to the Christmas concert – and some of the service is free. Here, managing director Joan Lind answers QA Education’s questions on how it works… Where did the idea for Trybooking come from? Trybooking was founded in Australia and was designed to solve the problem of too much paperwork, admin time and cash handling when putting on any size or type of school event. We were parents in Sydney who enjoyed the ease of booking online with Trybooking from any device and then immediately receiving emailed tickets. Be that for concerts, fundraising events, sports camps, parent teacher meetings etc. When we returned to the UK, we launched Trybooking in 2014 to schools and other community-based organisations – for example charities, choirs and amdram. What does Trybooking offer in terms of booking, tickets, notifications etc? Trybooking enables any type of event to be easily booked online with all details easily completed be that a simple concert with a chosen seat, or a parent-teacher meeting with individual time slots for each teacher, or open days, school trips, exam papers, courses and conferences. All booking confirmations are fulfilled with an automatic email and emailed tickets and booking confirmation which have both barcodes and QR Codes, so great for scanning if required. For example, a concert in a venue outside of the school. Additionally the school can set up various notifications so they get an email when a booking is made, or they can email all ticket buyers at any point to advise new information like a change of venue or start time. They can also set up an email that is sent at the same time as the automatic email, with tickets from them showing further details like a map. Do schools buy a one-off product or a subscription to your service? Neither, it is a simple pay-as-you-use approach. They can use us as regularly or irregularly as they wish. All clients open a complimentary account. We only get paid when the school is being paid for an event. All free events are free to manage via Trybooking. Details of our transparent and simple pricing approach are on our website. How many schools offer Trybooking? We work with hundreds of schools, colleges and universities as well as educational associations, across a mix of independent, state and grammar schools. Because we are not a software solution, but a cloud-based solution, we sit nicely alongside other software solutions in schools to enable much easier event management of bookings and ticketing. There are so many nuances to events be it registration forms for trips, dietary requirements for a fundraiser or time slots for parent-teacher meetings. And of course easy and quick payment means improved cashflow for the school. Is Trybooking suitable for primary as well as secondary? Yes it is, but we find most of our schools are secondary as primary schools don’t always see it as relevant, as they think they are too small. This is not the case, and those primary schools who use us find it incredibly valuable and saves staff time, as well as making it easier for parents. Primary schools mainly use Trybooking for parent-teacher meetings, fundraising events and concerts, especially the Christmas nativity, to manage numbers. So if they have a smaller hall, they can limit tickets per family or show it over two nights and parents book their preferred evening. What kind of feedback have you received from staff and parents? All positive! Before Trybooking, Holly from The Hollywood Studio of Performing Arts in Kirkby Lonsdale spent countless hours sorting registrations, collecting data, selling tickets and chasing payments and less time doing what she loves. She needed a solution that would work quietly in the background and enable her to focus on teaching. She came to Trybooking and found everything she was looking for and more. Holly said, “TryBooking has been the best experience for selling tickets that we have tried. It’s so simple to use and easy to operate.” They now have a new virtual staff member that works 24/7, collecting registration details and payments. The Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls are currently hosting several events with us, including an open-air cinema in September, and other schools we work with include Kingston Grammar School and Cardinal Vaugham Memorial School Concert (Sunday Times State School of the Year). See trybooking.co.uk for details.
GDPR two months on: best-practice tips to help the education sector achieve compliance
Nigel Peers, Security & Risk Management Consultant at NW Security Group, looks at the lay of the land since the GDPR enforcement, discussing how schools can gain & maintain compliance… With months of speculation behind us regarding the many complexities and intricate details of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the conversation has now shifted from raising awareness of the practicalities of its implementation, to giving actionable advice that will help schools, colleges and universities achieve and maintain compliance. It’s been almost two months since the May 25th deadline passed, and while the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has given reassurances that it isn’t going to start immediately handing out large fines to every school that remains non-compliant, it is important that facilities can show a desire to adhere to the regulation to protect staff and students’ data. That is because breaches within the sector are continuing to soar. In 2017 data breaches rose an astounding 103% compared to the previous year – schools, colleges and universities must do all they can to not become the next statistic. The concern is only exacerbated by the recent finding that only 16% of educational institutions currently realise they’ve fallen foul of a data breach. This begs the question; do they have the internal awareness to identify what a breach is? Improved training is clearly paramount. In our conversations with schools post-GDPR, two queries are commonly raised regarding how the new legislation will impact schools, colleges and universities. Firstly: ‘do we have a lawful basis for storing data?’; and secondly: ‘should we appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?’. As the guardians of confidential and private information regarding both students and staff, it is important that facilities quickly get up to speed on how the legislation may affect them. These are our top tips to help navigate the journey to compliance: What is a lawful basis for storing data? The first question educational institutions have been pondering is: what is a lawful basis for storing data and do we have it? When it comes to data collection and storage, all institutions must have a lawful basis to record Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Anything that can identify an individual is classed as PII, whether that be physical or cyber, so schools, colleges and universities must take a close look at the data being stored and ensure they do have the right to do so. A lawful basis includes contractual uses, compliance with legal obligations, and the interest of the data subject – such as safeguarding welfare. It is also important to keep in mind that PII stored for marketing purposes, such as e-mail marketing databases, can only be stored with the consent of the data owner, which must be given freely and kept up-to-date. To achieve compliance, the lawful basis for processing data should also be identified and documented within a school by updating its privacy policy and notices. Undertaking such an audit might sound like a daunting prospect but doing so will clean up databases and ensure consent to store and process PII is gained going forward. This is important as it has been our experience that, while many institutions believe they are protecting PII and have effective policies in place, these haven’t been documented adequately, leading to non-compliance. Do I need to appoint a DPO? The second area of uncertainty among many educational facilities is whether it’s necessary to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). This has been a grey area for many educational institutions, as the GDPR states a DPO must be appointed by all public authorities and any organisation carrying out systematic monitoring of individuals on a large scale. It’s open to interpretation whether schools and academies fit these criteria, but the need for somebody to take responsibility for data protection is clear. This is because our recent survey found that 70% of respondents didn’t think they could evidence that the correct procedures were in place if they fell victim to a breach. Furthermore, over half (51%) of those responsible for the administration of an access control system were found to be not trained in data protection. Best practice would be to appoint somebody to take responsibility for ensuring compliance, but the issue for many is then who to appoint, as a DPO must have the right skills and experience. This can present quite a challenge for many schools, because guidance states that the position cannot be filled by someone with a conflict of interest, ruling out those who work within the school in a senior management role or closely with the data being stored or processed. Perhaps that is why our report found that 22% of respondents already outsource their DPO to an external expert. This is a logical solution and one that we would recommend – as such it’s a figure we expect to rise. It’s important to highlight that there is still time to get it right. GDPR compliance may seem like a regulatory burden, but it has given the education sector a great opportunity to ensure their security procedures are fit for purpose, and the PII of staff and students won’t end up in the wrong hands. Expert GDPR support is available from qualified practitioners who can help you every step of the way as you overhaul your data protection practices. For information on the security consultancy and training services we can provide, visit: nwsystemsgroup.com Nigel Peers, a qualified Data Protection Practitioner with full teacher training status, brings vast strategic security expertise as a previous co-founder of a successful workplace compliance training company, responsible for security site surveys, vulnerability assessments and Security Industry Authority (SIA) training courses. Working in close partnership with board and trustee-level stakeholders, Nigel is responsible for helping organisations understand the latest regulations and ensure risks, threats and vulnerabilities are correctly identified. Through strategic planning support, Nigel optimises security solution delivery from mitigation to implementation, risk and incident management to business continuity and recovery. About NW Security Group Established in 2004, NW Security Group provides
Tackling staff absence in schools, academies and colleges
A total of 2.16 million days were lost due to teacher sickness absence in 2015/16 according to the latest statistics from the Department of Education[i]. Other figures from the Liberal Democrats[ii] this year revealed that one in 83 teachers is now on long-term leave of one month or more for stress and mental health issues in 2016/17 – up 5% on the previous year. Adrian Lewis, director at Activ Absence says that sickness absence not only costs schools money, it can also impact staff morale and recruitment and retention, which can affect the pupils’ education. Lewis says, “Tackling absence is essential given schools operate on tight budgets and are workplaces where absences will be immediately noticed. If a teacher is frequently off sick it will either add to supply teaching costs or the workload of other teachers and affect teaching standards. “To address this situation, a growing number of educational establishments including primaries, academies and colleges are looking to drive efficiencies and reduce absenteeism levels by investing in absence management software to better manage their sickness absence. “A good absence management system will let teachers log on to alert school managers they are sick, making it easier to plan the day and sort out cover in time for lessons. It can help reduce key skills shortages as well as support the return to work process. “Having a system where you can see clearly who is off and when, whether this is for meetings, sick leave or holiday leave all in one place that is simple and easy to use, with zero training needed can be hugely beneficial. “This software can also help uncover the root causes of sickness absence and pick up trends such as someone often off ill on a Monday which could indicate stress, a growing problem in British schools,” adds Mr Lewis. A NASUWT union survey[iii] last year highlighted that one in ten teachers are taking anti-depressants to cope with work stresses – with heavy workloads and staff shortages being blamed. Having staff off sick is only adding to this problem. “By gaining insight into absence trends managers can spot patterns of sickness which can bring mental health issues, such as stress and anxiety, to light more quickly. This enables managers to offer support and help teachers who may be struggling,” adds Mr Lewis. Schools like the John Port Spencer Academy in Derbyshire are already getting the benefits of using this technology. Jeannette Topham, HR Officer says, “We started using Activ Absence in October 2017. We were looking for a system that streamlined requests for planned absence and one that also helped us to manage the sickness absence process. Staff have adapted to the new system really well and the online forms and email prompts are really useful for keeping everyone informed about what they need to do. “The system keeps the School Leadership Team informed about staffing and the cover supervisor knows what requests are being made in advance to help anticipate any cover needs.” Louise Varner, HR Administrator at Bootham School in York finds the system simple to use, highly intuitive with information easily accessed and clearly displayed. She says, “Reports can be customised to deliver management information as and when required and scheduled to run automatically. “I have set up various alerts within the system which trigger e-mails to me, the HR manager and line manager if certain criterion is met. We use this information to inform positive interventions, as line managers are able to discuss any issues with their staff as soon as a pattern of absence emerges. This has had a positive impact in reducing absence and reflects the supportive ethos of the school. “The online return to work form gives a coherent structure for line managers to follow when conducting interviews with staff and prompts them to fully explore any adjustments that may be needed to facilitate a phased return. The system also sends a reminder if the return to work has not been completed which is invaluable in ensuring that records are up to date and that we, as an organisation, are looking after the wellbeing of our staff.” Mr Lewis concludes, “For schools, academies, colleges and universities thinking ahead to the new academic year and planning IT budgets now, investing in technology could be a game changer for reducing and managing staff absence effectively. Absence management software can bring efficiencies and savings, as well as help schools look after the wellbeing of staff their staff.” For more information visit: www.activabsence.co.uk
How will GDPR affect schools? UCL data expert tells heads how to prepare
UCL’s Nathan Lea tells our editor Victoria Galligan about how the incoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will have an impact on schools and what can be done to prepare for the new regime, which comes into force on May 25th… How will GDPR affect the way primary and secondary schools use data overall? The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) places a far greater emphasis on transparency with data subjects and indeed their guardians around how data is used. It is likely that schools will need to make their uses of data clearer to parents and guardians, who will be able to ask questions and seek clarifications according to updated and new provisions enshrined in the rights for the individual component of the GDPR. The legal bases upon which data is processed are also being modernised, but where a school is processing data pursuant to an established purpose enshrined in law, it is unlikely to change much, though the new legal bases have been developed to support existing and proposed data use more clearly. It would be important for schools to think about how the six legal bases and additional provisions for special category data (including that related to health and biometrics) will relate to their purposes, but they must be very clear on purpose – why and how you’re collecting and using the data. Where the purpose is unclear, it will need to be clarified or amended to bring it into line with GDPR. Schools in particular should pay particular attention to age at which parental consent for data processing is likely to change. Currently it looks as though the age will be 13 years old across the UK, however they should take extra care in how they interpret it, engage with students and parents, and proceed on their legal team’s and Data Protection Officer’s (DPO) advice. In short, provided schools are clear on purposes for data use, the legal bases for these, are transparent about their processing and are able to be accountable for the processing and protection of data, they should find that their uses will be supported and may not need to change very much. For any new uses they are planning, they will need to perform a Data Protection Impact Assessment in line with the Information Commissioner’s Office’s recommendations. What measures should staff be taking to ensure they comply with GDPR in schools? It is important to take any training that their school is providing for them, and these should be mandatory courses. If staff are unclear, they should seek advice from their data protection officers – it is likely that schools will either have one or share one with other schools in the area. If anyone is unsure, they should seek clarification about what they are expected to do when it comes to data handling and use – it’s important to think about how they currently handle data, for example checking work emails on mobile devices – it is likely these policies will need to be updated and that new policies will be available. But in general, greater care in the handling of data and liaison with the DPO with regards training and good and/or required practice will be vital to ensure compliance. Is the introduction of GDPR in schools going to be a costly process? The biggest “cost” will likely be culture change fuelled by a greater need for awareness about what data is being handled and how. Safe handling of data will need to be much more of a priority and whilst the fines for improper use will be higher, the reputational cost will be even more if something goes wrong where it might have been avoided. Furthermore, certain breaches need to be reported to the ICO within 72 hours of discovery, so schools will need to make sure they have an information risk, security and management process in place, key to which of course is their Data Protection Officer and IT management groups. However this is an important opportunity for schools to really think about what data they are processing, how they are doing so, whether they need to and how they can do it safely. Do heads need to hire data experts to ensure they meet GDPR in schools? It will be very hard to declare that GDPR compliance is being met from day one as nobody knows what that looks like in practice and will not for some time as mistakes are made and cases are pursued by the Information Commissioner or courts. It would not hurt to hire experts to help give an indication of where schools need to improve their data handling processes, but it will be important to provide awareness raising training and education to all staff so that they are clearer on what good practice looks like. Schools should have the required officers in place, including an appropriate DPO. But the decision about hiring a data expert should reside with the head, their IT management groups and their data protection officer. Can schools still use old data (pre-GDPR) for marketing and fundraising purposes? It would depend on the basis upon which the data was originally collected and if it were clear to the data subject that their data would be used in the way that it is proposed moving forward. Schools should look at the legal bases and make sure that they meet the consent requirements for handling contact data: were the purposes clearly identified? Was the consent a positive action and freely given? For example, did the school ask people to tick a box to say they had consented to having their contact details used for marketing or fundraising purposes? Or if people had to untick a box or were told that the data would be used and did not give them a choice in the matter, this is unlikely to meet the test for consent that GDPR now requires). Schools should seek advice from their DPO, legal teams about this point in particular and
Shine a Light Awards celebrates schools’ communication development work
Comedian Adam Hess hosted the 2018 Shine a Light Awards, a national awards scheme that celebrates innovative work and excellent practice in supporting children and young people’s communication development. Adam struggled with dyslexia and an immense fear of public speaking when he was younger. At the awards, which took place at Pearson’s headquarters in London, 17 individuals and teams across 10 award categories were recognised, as well as children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The Shine a Light Awards are sponsored and organised by Pearson in partnership with The Communication Trust, a coalition of over 50 organisations dedicated to supporting children and young people’s speech, language and communication. Adam said: “The dedication of teams and individuals to improve the communication skills of children and young people is humbling. As a child, I struggled greatly with dyslexia and an immense fear of public speaking, if it wasn’t for the support I received when I was younger I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. It has been a complete honour to host these awards and I would like to congratulate all the winners and commended finalists. They should be very proud of what they have achieved.” Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President, Schools, Pearson, said: “Our warmest congratulations to the winners, highly-commended, and commended finalists of the 2018 Shine a Light Awards. Through our innovative clinical assessments, Pearson is committed to supporting those working to help people overcome challenges in speech and language. “For six years we have run these awards as we believe it is so important to recognise and celebrate the incredible, but often unsung, work being done across the country to change the lives of children and young people by helping them to develop their communication skills.” Octavia Holland, Director of The Communication Trust, said: “Congratulations to everyone who triumphed at the 2018 Shine a Light Awards. These awards highlight the very best practice that is taking place in settings across the country. The winners and highly-commended finalists have shown what can be achieved when expertise, enthusiasm and dedication are given to children and young people who struggle to communicate. We would like to say a huge thank you to Pearson for their long-standing support.” The awards panel included 19 key representatives from across the education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sectors, as well as previous Shine a Light Award winners. Representatives included Jonathan Douglas, Director at National Literacy Trust; Kamini Gadhok MBC, Chief Executive at RCSLT; Bob Reitemeier CBE, CEO of I CAN; Lesley Munro, Education and Speech and Language Therapy Manager at Pearson Clinical; John Parrott, Chair of Communication Consortium at NAPLIC and Victoria Roe, Secretary and Deputy Chair, SMIRA. The Shine a Light Awards have grown in popularity since their launch during the National Year of Communication in 2011 (known as the Hello campaign). To date, the awards have celebrated the work of over 140 teams and a wide range of individuals, including young people with severe and complex SLCN. In the UK, over one million children and young people have some form of long-term and persistent speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) that can impact them early, severely and for life. The awards highlight the incredible contributions of teams, settings and individuals across England who support children and young people to achieve their full potential despite the challenges they face. The Awards are designed to promote and celebrate good practice in speech, language and communication for individuals, groups and settings that work with children and young people, particularly those with SLCN. The awards form part of the legacy of the National Year of Communication (Hello campaign) and have become a key event in the speech, language and communication and healthcare calendar. Pearson is the world’s learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. Pearson have sponsored the Shine a Light Awards since their launch in 2011, as part of the Hello campaign (National Year of Communication). The Communication Trust is a coalition of over 50 leading voluntary sector organisations, which raises awareness, influences policy, promotes best practice among the children’s workforce and commissions work from its members. The Trust’s mission is to ensure that every child and young person is supported to communicate to the very best of their ability. For further information about the Shine a Light winners and highly-commended finalists, visit www.shinealightawards.co.uk and follow the hashtag on Twitter #awards_SAL The full list of winners and highly commended finalists is as follows: Award: The Katie Rough Memorial Award Winner: Libby Hill, Uttoxeter Highly Commended: Rachel Peck, Cambridgeshire Child/Young Person of the Year Award: Winner: Jonathan Bryan, Wiltshire Highly Commended: Siena Castellon, London Communication Champion of the Year Award Winner: Pip St John, Lancashire Youth Justice of the Year Award Winner: Manchester Youth Justice, Manchester Early Years Setting of the Year Award Winner: Children’s House Nursery School, London Highly Commended: Juice Nursery Ltd, Altrincham Primary School of the Year Award Winner: Pendle Primary Academy, Lancashire Highly Commended: Longmoor Community Primary, Merseyside Commended: Bridgewater Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne Secondary School/College of the Year Award Winner: Isaac Newton Academy, London Commended: London South East Colleges, London SEN School/Group of the Year Award Winner: Pontville School, Lancashire Highly Commended: The William Henry Smith School, West Yorkshire SLCN Innovation of the Year Award Winner: Stoke Speaks Out Pearson Outstanding Achievement Award Winner: Stoke Speaks Out The judges involved in the 2018 Shine a Light Awards were: · Bob Reitemeier, CEO of I CAN · Diz Minnitt, Speech and Language Lead, Association of YOT Managers (AYM) · Hilary Berry, Chair of Cheshire West and Chester Primary Heads’ Association · Janet Cooper, Early Language and Communication Strategy Lead at Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Shine a Light Award winner · John Parrott, Chair of Communication Consortium at NAPLIC · Jonathan Douglas, Director of National