Heathfield Primary School in Darlington, part of the Heathfield Academy Trust, has made two strategic appointments to bolster its senior leadership team.

Rebecca Pavey has been appointed as executive head, while Helen Tarokh has taken the reins as head of school; strengthening Heathfield Primary School’s leadership team which is further boosted by the wider support of the multi-academy trust (MAT).

With 20 years’ experience in the education sector including as former headteacher at Wheatley Hill Primary School in County Durham, Mrs Pavey will have a dual remit which extends to Mount Pleasant Primary School where she has been headteacher for the past year.

She commented: “I’m looking forward to taking a more strategic role and supporting both schools in developing their standards.”

Speaking of the benefits of being a part of a multi-academy trust, she added:

“The Heathfield Academy Trust is uniquely placed to support pupils with a wide range of needs as each of the schools benefits from its own specialist provision and it’s this joint expertise that really sets us apart and enables us to provide support to pupils where it is needed most.

“There are distinct benefits to being part of a MAT as all of the heads get to work together collectively, which is extremely beneficial both personally and professionally and in-turn impacts positively on standards.”

Helen Tarokh boasts 22 years’ experience in the education sector in total.  She has recently returned to the North East to take up the role at Heathfield Primary School having spent the past 14 years working in senior leadership roles within schools in the Leicester area.  During the past five years as headteacher she played a key role achieving Good Ofsted status for a school previously on special measures which she says was a ‘big achievement’.

 

She said: “Heathfield Primary School has lots of potential, a great staff team and fantastic pupils; with plenty of hard work and determination I’m confident that we can make the journey to Outstanding.  My first priority as head is continuing to raise standards across the board, ensuring consistency.

“Being part of a MAT means that there’s an opportunity to work closely with the other heads and share best practice which ensures the best outcomes for all.”

Heathfield Academy Trust currently comprises five schools in the Darlington area – Heathfield Primary School, Hurworth Primary School, Northwood Primary School and since October 01, Corporation Road Primary School and Mount Pleasant Primary School.  Within the MAT children are supported, educationally, socially and practically, to achieve their potential in both education and life.

Nick Blackburn, chief executive of the Heathfield Academy Trust, said: “It’s a very exciting time for the Heathfield Academy Trust.  I am delighted to have both Rebecca and Helen on board at Heathfield Primary, they are set to give the school a huge injection of very experienced leadership and a fresh perspective.  They both have a very strong-track record in the education sector and are excited about the challenge and determined to drive progress at the school.”

For more information about Heathfield Academy Trust visit www.heathfieldacademytrust.com

With over 25 years of experience, Synel UK are passionate helping schools streamline their operations, save precious teaching time, ensure high levels of security and reduce administrations costs without having the need for manual registration.

 

A case in point is one of our recently completed projects, City of London School.

 

City of London School in the heart of the Square Mile. It is a City school in the truest sense, benefitting from the diversity and richness of the communities around it and from the wealth of opportunity brought to it by association with the City of London Corporation and the proximity to some of the world’s most important cultural, financial and business operations.
It is a truly vibrant community, with a strong sense of ambition and breadth of vision.   The education the school espouses is broad and all-encompassing, giving boys the skills and understanding to think and act for themselves, to engage positively with those around them, to enjoy the opportunities the world offers and to approach the challenges of life with confidence.

The Challenge

A high level of security solutions and reliability was a top priority in the City of London School. The central location of the School right in the middle of one of the oldest and most touristic parts of London, near St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as the Tower of London, the constant traffic, in combination with the many entrances of the building, made the challenge of effectively securing it even more complicated.

Access control until now was applied to perimeter doors or other sensitive points – leaving the remaining doors secured by conventional mechanical locks and multiple key holders. Despite a key register it was next to impossible to control who had access to certain areas at different times.

Why City of London School Chose Synel UK

Synel UK made sure that security solutions were applied in all three distinct security zones/perimeters. Different types of equipment were used in these perimeters depending on the security needs. From intercoms which identified pupils and staff by personal ID Cards through to wireless secured doors, everything was chosen to serve a specific security purpose. The ID cards were also used by the pupils for registration and cashless meals. Special Video intercoms were placed for visitors and contractors.

All these different aspects of the solution, are fully integrated to Edureg system. One solution instead of having different and multiple programs.

Synel’s approach and solution

• The incorporation of the Edureg system,  removed the weakness of very low security in the external part of the building, leaving the remaining doors secured by conventional mechanical locks and eliminated any potential problems with key control.
• Seamless Integration with the school’s MIS

All the above assisted in the process of knowing exactly who is on site at any time improving therefore the security. The administration costs were reduced due to the integration of the new system with the school’s MIS.

The hybrid standard and Wi-Fi access control solution of Synel UK, for internal and external doors and gates ensured the most cost effective solution yet with highest quality and security levels.

The results

The Synel team had to overcome complications on-site which are common in large buildings such as CLS, a very tight no fail deadline, a great number of doors and gates, the integration of standard and Wi-Fi solutions in three different perimeters of the building, while co-operating with other third party suppliers. Synel’s professional team was extremely efficient, fast and managed to overcome all obstacles and deliver the project on time ready for the September term.

City of London School were impressed with Synel’s performance.

They are now enjoying the following benefits of Edu-Reg:

• Electronic Registration
• Access control
• Cashless Meals & Payments solution
• Visitor Management
• Fire roll and attendance in premises

Above all, the school increased security at a very sensitive and central location full of traffic and tourists, ensured pupils and staff safety and tracked their attendance in premises.

In summary, the IT Systems Manager of the school, Joe Matthews, added:

‘Synel are an outstanding company to work with.  The installation team were excellent throughout the project: hard working, straight forward to deal with, and very quick to understand our requirements.  We have ended up with a great solution that we plan to expand upon as our needs develop.’

 

For more information or a free consultation contact us at:

 

Tel. +44 (0)208 900 9991, E-mail: sales@syneluk.com, www.synel.co.uk

 

 

 

Staff and pupils at a Kent primary school are celebrating this week, after winning a prestigious digital learning award.

Beaver Green Primary School in Ashford has been presented with a Discovery Education ‘Digital Champion’ Award, in recognition of its use of new technology in the classroom.

The school, which is part of the Swale Academy Trust, encourages teachers to use digital resources in every lesson – and has seen a marked increase in pupil attainment since promoting new technology. Beaver Green’s 400 pupils regularly use online learning tools and e-books, and practice computer programming by coding games and creating their own apps.

Receiving the award Headteacher Catherine Hylands said:

“The whole school community is delighted and proud to receive this digital learning award. We are committed to using new technology to engage our pupils and to help them achieve their potential.”

“We all know that today’s generation of learners are switched on to digital resources, and technology has had a really positive impact at Beaver Green – helping children to explore difficult concepts in a fun and accessible way, while equipping them with the skills they need for the future.”

Beaver Green Primary School uses the award-winning Discovery Education Espresso learning service, giving pupils access to a range of cutting-edge resources linked to the National Curriculum. Newly-added content includes a Roald Dahl module, which the school recently tapped into to mark the centenary of the famous author. Pupils used Dahl-themed e-books, interactive games and videos – and even entered a special competition to create their own Wonka-inspired sweets.

Headteacher Catherine Hylands continued:

“Our vision is for all teachers and learners in our school to become confident users of ICT so that they can develop the skills, knowledge and understanding which enable them to use appropriate computing resources effectively as powerful tools for teaching and learning.”

Catherine Howard, Discovery Education’s Director of Educational Partnerships said:

“Discovery Education is delighted to recognise Beaver Green as a leading digital school. The award reflects the school’s use of classroom technology to maximise learning opportunities for every child – and to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.”

The award was presented to Beaver Green Primary School by Discovery Education. Pictured are Headteacher Catherine Hylands and IT Coordinator Lucy Edwards alongside Discovery Education’s Mike Heath.

To learn more about Discovery Education’s award-winning content, services and initiatives, visit www.discoveryeducation.co.uk

 

• New toolkit will support schools in measuring and monitoring the mental health of their pupils
• Half of all mental health problems appear before the age of 14
• Schools are increasingly at the forefront of children and young people’s mental health
• Information will help schools promote wellbeing and assess the impact of school based mental health interventions

 

This World Mental Health Day the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (AFNCCF) in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) launch a toolkit for schools and colleges to support the measurement and monitoring of children and young people’s mental wellbeing.

With half of all diagnosable mental health disorders established by the age of 14, there is a strong case to promote children and young people’s mental health. Schools and college environments are a vital part of children and young people’s support system and are increasingly recognised as key sites to help promote pupil mental wellbeing. Up until now, school teams and support staff have not had clear information about robust, evidence-based tools to help them measure and monitor wellbeing.

 

The development of the toolkit was commissioned by Public Health England and led by the Evidence-Based Practice Unit of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (AFNCCF). It provides schools in the UK with information about a range of psychometrically sound and effective wellbeing instruments. It also provides details about how to use them, with real-life examples from schools that have used the measures.

 

Dr Jessica Deighton led the development of the toolkit in collaboration with the Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC) and Common Room. Jessica said:

 

“Our ambition is that all schools and colleges are able to embed measurement systems that help them review the mental health and well-being needs of their students. The toolkit will also help schools assess whether their approaches to mental health are having a positive impact.”

 

Routine measurement of mental well-being in educational settings means that schools and colleges have a profile of the potential strengths and difficulties in their student population and also means that any potential improvements year-on-year resulting from school or college-based support are automatically captured.

 

The aim of the toolkit is to support schools and pastoral staff to address and consider the data and tools they can draw on to understand, define and measure pupil mental wellbeing on a more formal basis. Such efforts taken to promote the physical and mental health of the student population creates a virtuous circle, reinforcing attainment and achievement that in turn improves student wellbeing, enabling students to thrive and achieve their full potential.

 

Eustace de Sousa, National lead for Children, Young People and Families, Public Health England, said:

 

“Recent evidence shows that more young people are reporting concerns about their mental health affecting their studies. This toolkit is a timely reminder of the important contribution that school and college staff have, alongside parents and carers, in identifying and responding early to the mental health needs of children and young people. By investing early, children and young people will reap the benefits of better health and education outcomes.”

 

Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families, Edward Timpson said:        

“Growing up in today’s world can be tough. From negative comments on social media to pressures to look a certain way, the wellbeing of young people is at risk. That’s why we want teachers to be able to spot the signs that their pupils are having difficult thoughts or feelings and feel confident about supporting them. This toolkit can help schools to monitor the wellbeing of their pupils and builds on the work we are already doing to create better links between schools and children’s mental health services.”

 

Dr Tanya Lereya, a key member of the team who developed the toolkit, will speak about the resource at a Schools in Mind event on 8 November held at Camden Town Hall, London, and it will be freely available to download from AFNCCF host website.

 

 

Influencers in Edtech and publishing, including Microsoft and TechKnowledge will descend on Zayed University Convention Centre in Dubai for the inaugural Digital Textbook Symposium this week.

 

The ‘Digital Textbook Symposium – a vision for the future of learning,’ organised by Kortext, the UK’s leading provider of digital textbook and learning solutions, brings together education leaders and innovators in technology to discuss a vision for the future of learning.

 

The free event takes places on Thursday 6 October, from 8.30am-5pm, at Zayed University in Dubai. The conference is an opportunity for university Vice Chancellors, heads of IT, heads of libraries, lecturers, education, teaching and learning specialists to meet with global experts to share their experiences.

 

Speakers will be offering key insights into EdTech advancements and particularly the impact of digital content on the learning environment to highlight how it can improve progression and learning outcomes.

 

Microsoft will lead a session on how technology can improve productivity in education, Kortext will explore the practicalities of etextbooks while Middlesex University will share its experiences of using learning analytics and the changing role of librarians.

 

Speakers include; Nick Bevan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Director of Library and Student Support at Middlesex University, Majed Akl, Education Devices and Solutions Lead for Microsoft, James Gray, founder of Kortext, Eela Devani, Strategy and Digital Director at Copyright Licensing Agency, Alan Stafford, Campus Sales Manager, Macmillan Education and Dr Somaya Al-Maadeed, Head of Department, College of Engineering, Qatar University.

 

James Gray, CEO of Kortext, said: “As more innovative EdTech continues to hit the market, it is paramount that we foster the relationship between these products and learning environments. Middlesex University, which provides etextbooks to students as part of fees, is a great example of how tech can be integrated into courses and adapted to suit both students and lecturers. It’s encouraging to see more universities increasingly recognising the worth of using digital technologies in higher education.

 

“Kortext is at the forefront of these global discussions about the future of education technology and we’re looking forward to joining a wealth of industry experts at our first Digital Textbook Symposium in Dubai. We want to keep learning from best practice to create innovative products that push the boundaries of learning, with the aim of providing greater accessibility and better educational outcomes for students around the world.”

 

Kortext has partnered with TechKnowledge, the leading specialised electronic information solutions provider in the Middle East, to provide universities in the Middle East and Dubai with electronic resources and learning solutions. Kortext’s Middle East office will provide local training and support for its customers and help build relationships with local publishers.

 

For more information and to book your free place, please visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/digital-textbook-symposium-a-vision-for-the-future-of-learning-technology-tickets-27024359587