BUREAU VERITAS URGES EDUCATION SECTOR TO TAKE A MORE STUDIOUS APPROACH TO SAFTEY AMID SHOCKING STATISTICS

Amid shocking recent statistics around the very real safety risks presented in UK schools, Bureau Veritas is urging all education institutions to add a more diligent approach to safety and compliance as a priority focus this year.

According to a recent investigation, 13% of schools in the UK have not carried out a fire risk assessment and one in ten do not have an appropriate electrical test certificate.1 This followsa previous report which estimated that as many as 700 schools in the UK were failing to safely manage asbestos in their buildings, potentially putting thousands of staff and pupils at risk.2

The consensus is that this is part consequence of an increasingly turbulent time for the educational sector with many teachers left overstretched, classes bigger than ever and many buildings in need of major repair work.

In response, Bureau Veritas is keen to assert that, irrespective of the current difficult climate, safety should and must come first.

Shane Grace, Business Unit Director for the Health, Safety & Inspection Division at Bureau Veritas, comments: “While we recognise the increased pressure that educational providers are operating under, the reality is that safety must remain paramount. They have a duty of care and an absolute responsibility to ensure that their incumbents; pupils and staff alike, are able to teach and learn in a safe and comfortable environment – and that’s not just in terms of schools but the higher education sector like universities and student accommodation.

“From our experience, many facilities will wait to conduct their maintenance programmes over the school holidays. However, it is important to note that when it comes to compliance management, whether it be asbestos, fire risk assessment, legionella  and electrical safety, it doesn’t just boil down to a standard periodic check, but also regular, diligent monitoring to ensure best practice standards are maintained and, in turn, compliance.”

Legally, all schools with asbestos in their buildings must ensure they manage it effectively to protect staff and students, and, in common with any other business or employer, they have a statutory duty to control the risk of Legionella on their premises.

In terms of electrical safety, schools are required to carry out routine checks on fixed electrical installations every six months and formal fixed electrical testing every five years.

If there is a swimming pool on site, formal inspection and testing must be done every 12 months.

While under the Fire Safety Order 2005 any responsible person operating in an educational arena must carry out a fire risk assessment to ensure adequate safety measures are place to negate risk, with particular onus on the less able, those with special needs and children.

Shane adds: “For any education establishments that haven’t already, we would urge them to prioritise safety compliance, particularly in relations to health and safety, asbestos, legionella control, fire safety risk and electrical safety, this year. The reality is that, in failing to do so, providers could be leaving themselves open to a disaster just waiting to happen.”

To find out more about Bureau Veritas’ services or to discuss individual requirements with a member of the team, call 0345 600 1828 or visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk

CALL FOR FERTILITY LESSONS IN SCHOOLS

Fertility education should be compulsory in schools, says Simon Fishel IVF pioneer and co-founder of menopause delay procedure ProFaM. 

Scientist Professor Fishel, who worked alongside ‘test-tube’ baby trailblazers Sir Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe, says education is key. 

“I believe strongly that young people should have as much education on these matters as possible if we want to make a major impact on preventing infertility,” he said.  

“There has been a huge success in preventing pregnancies through sex and relationships education in schools, but youngsters learn next to nothing about fertility.  

“Yet, contraception and conception are two sides of the same coin.  

“There is a feeling that reproduction should be left in the providence of the divine, and that somehow it’s different to other medical conditions.   

“Yet, having a greater understanding of how their bodies work will enable women to stand a better chance of falling pregnant when they choose to in the future. 

“Men have a biological clock too. It’s more insidious as it relates to issues of the health of the child and miscarriage, but this needs to be taught too.   

 “I believe individuals should have the liberty and respect to make informed choices.” 

Prof Fishel is urging the Government to add fertility education to the sex education curriculum so teenagers can make informed decisions for their future lives. 

“Many women fail to appreciate what causes reduced fertility – either dramatically or over their reproductive life-span – and therefore don’t know the relationship to egg numbers,” he added. 

“And apart from help from the media, or knowing what to ask online – which can be tricky as there is as much scaremongering and misinformation as there is good advice – it isn’t always easy. 

 “Many women will put off having children until later into their 30’s but fail to appreciate that this may well be at a time when their fertility will be reducing,” he added. 

“They may see celebrities having children in their late 30s and early 40s and assume they will be able to do the same, but many of those will have had fertility treatment, often with donor eggs. 

“And by the time they visit their GP or approach a specialist it may be too late to conceive without the help of fertility treatment, while others may find they are no longer able to conceive at all.” 

Prof Fishel says many young people are also unaware that lifestyle factors including drugs and alcohol consumption, obesity and STIs can all have effects on short or long-term fertility. 

In July the Government announced that from next year secondary school pupils will learn about the menopause during sex and health education. 

Meanwhile, the Labour Party is promising a ‘step-change’ in women’s working rights if they come to power with managers at large firms to be trained in supporting staff going through the menopause 

Prof Fishel launched ProFaM Protecting Fertility and Menopause) alongside endometriosis and advanced laparoscopic surgery consultant Mr Yousri Afifi in August attracting worldwide interest.  

ProFaM is the first organisation in the world to offer young women the prospect of freezing some of their ovarian tissue to preserve their natural hormones for use later in life. 

Further information: www.profam.co.uk 

Fruit waste jewellery, a playground for stressed pigs and extendable Dr Martens shortlisted for V&A national schools challenge

Graphic Gathering 2.10.2018

Ten projects put forward by teams of 11-14-year-olds from schools across England from Middlesbrough to Woking, have been shortlisted for the inaugural V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge. Tasked with creating a solution for a real-world issue, pegged to themes inspired by the V&A’s exhibitions programme, the wide scope of entries submitted range from solutions for tackling homelessness, and food waste to women’s safety. 

The entries were shortlisted by a leading industry judging panel including chef and Masterchef judge Monica Galetti; fashion designer Phoebe English; COO of Brompton Bikes Paul Williams; Teacher of Product Design at Monk’s Walk School in Hertfordshire, James Singler; and V&A Director of Learning and National Programmes, Helen Charman. The judging panel will also choose the winning team as part of a ‘Dragons Den’ style pitching and awards day on 2 March 2020. 

The judging panel’s expertise across the fashion, food and travel industries reflects the three themes for this year’s challenge. The first theme Go, asks how new approaches to design can support the movement of people, things and ideas. The second, Eat, asks for ideas on sustainable eating and widening access to affordable and healthy food. The third, Wear, asks how technology might be harnessed to transform the future of fashion. 

Dr Helen Charman, Director of Learning and National Programmes, said: “The V&A launched V&A Innovate to create meaningful resources for teachers rooted in industry, to inspire students in the incredible breadth of D&T as a subject and career pathway and to nurture their creative talents. We’re thrilled that V&A Innovate has reached over 3,000 students across the country in its inaugural year, with an extraordinary quality of projects submitted – we very much look forward to meeting the finalists in person in the coming weeks as part of the pitching and awards day.” 

The projects shortlisted for the inaugural V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge Award are: 

• Camden School for Girls, Camden A ‘fitbit’ style safety wristband for teenage girls with a panic button and specialised route planner that avoids potentially dangerous areas. 

• Coundon Court, Coventry A community centre with a public allotment and cookery school to promote healthy eating. 

• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, Darwen

A padded jacket for the homeless with additional pockets for belongings, which could also act as extra insultation.  

• Harris Academy, Purley Concept designs for a playground for pigs, based on research that stressed pigs produce a poorer quality of meat. 

• Hoe Valley School, Woking (2 entries) Project one – A multi-purpose kitchen appliance to create more space for people living in smaller homes. 

Project two – A device to keep cyclists dry and encourage more people to cycle. 

• King Ecgbert School, Sheffield An environmentally friendly cycling bus.

• Northfield School & Sports College, Billingham A plastic prevention campaign connected to local shopping habits.

• Trinity School, Newbury Dehydrated jewellery made from fruit and vegetable peels to reduce food waste. 

• Wrenn School, Wellingborough An extendable school shoe, based on research at a local Dr Martens’ factory to reduce waste and tackle the affordability of school shoes

Phoebe English, fashion designer, said: “I really enjoyed seeing every single entry and was thrilled so many students approached ‘wear’ as a category. Both my parents were art teachers and I now lecture up and down the country at many different fashion universities, so I have seen first-hand how much design education has been eroded in recent years. It’s highly alarming and an initiative like V&A Innovate has never been more important – our collective imagination to re-design a new type of future has never been more urgent than it is now.”

James Singler, Teacher of Product Design, Monk’s Walk School, said: “What’s astounding is the breadth of ideas – showing insight, thought and eloquence – reminding us that we must improve how we keep people safe and lessen our impact on the earth, and that innovation evolves from inspired people, whatever their age. Judging the projects for the V&A Innovate National Schools Challenge demonstrated to me I should be keeping my food happy and wear the packaging it comes in – bonkers at a first glance but undoubtedly truly fresh ideas. We can and should all learn from their unrestrained thinking.”

The challenge forms a key part of the museum’s digital teaching resource hub, V&A Innovate. First launched in May 2019, its teaching toolkits are refreshed every year. Created with teachers and designers, the programme introduces young people to design principles used in industry and in the Design and Technology (D&T) GCSE.

Birmingham School Works to Overturn Damning Ofsted Report

A West Midlands school which has been placed in special measures by Ofsted is adopting a radical approach to exclusions and behaviour problems in order to make a step-change in its culture for pupils and staff.

 The most recent Ofsted inspection at Shenley Academy, in Birmingham, found a catalogue of issues including: under-achievement by disadvantaged and special educational needs pupils; low attendance rates, especially from disadvantaged and special educational needs pupils and a high rate of fixed-term exclusions.

 In response, the school, which is run by the multi-academy trust E-ACT, has seen changes to its leadership team, including appointing in a new Head of Inclusion and SENCO, Jonathan Hickman, who has been tasked with improving the school’s culture and, specifically, with improving the attendance of Special Educational Needs (SEN) students.

 “For me, children’s social and emotional health is where you start to make changes. If you improve this then educational attainment follows. This is a challenging school with high levels of deprivation and we want to create a really different environment where staff and students look out for each other,” he said.

 One of the main tools Mr Hickman is using to make these changes is The Thrive Approach, which is based on neuroscience and attachment theory to equip adults with the knowledge, insights and resources needed to develop the relationships that help children to flourish and learn. Mr Hickman trained in the Approach at his previous school, North Birmingham Academy, which saw a drop in fixed term exclusions after it introduced the Thrive Approach as well as achieving its best-ever GCSE results. In November, the school won the Alex Timpson ARC Attachment Award for Secondary Schools 2019 in recognition for the work it has done to create positive relationships between teachers and pupils.

 Already, making these changes has started to pay off at Shenley with a noticeable reduction in staff turnover, down from 30 staff leaving the first term Mr Hickman was appointed to a single figure turnover last term. The school is now hoping that other areas such as attendance and achievement will improve as the changes take effect.

 Shenley Academy wants to share its journey with the local community and is inviting teachers, social workers and anyone else interested in children’s mental health to come into the school to find out more about the changes it is making and to watch a screening of the film Paper Tigers. The 2015 documentary charts a year in the life of an American high school whose Principal adopts a trauma-sensitive approach to its pupils, many of whom have a history of truancy, behavioural problems and substance abuse. The results are astonishing – and Shenley’s leadership team are hoping that that it will see similar outcomes.

 The film, along with talks from Mr Hickman and Thrive’s Kay Hamilton, will be screened on January 16 from 4.30pm at the school. Attendance is free and open to all – but please email enquiries@thriveapproach.com to reserve a place.

Qualification for aspiring headteachers to become a prerequisite from August 2020

As of August, this year, any teacher appointed to their first permanent headteacher post must have been awarded the Standard for Headship. 

Aimed at teachers likely to reach a headteacher post within the next two to three years, the fully funded ‘Into Headship’ programme brings a wealth of career benefits and opportunities.

Headteachers play a vital role in shaping schools and the lives of pupils and staff – and their leadership is central to it all.  The role has many different priorities to balance, and the programme has been specifically designed to help participants meet the requirements for the Standard for Headship. A great learning experience, the programme enables teachers to build career-long networks and opens the doors to longer term career prospects.

Throughout the programme, participants will have the assistance of a headteacher mentor and a local authority co-ordinator to support and develop the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding required of senior leaders in leading a dynamic school community.

On successful completion of Into Headship, participants are awarded the Standard for Headship – a required prerequisite for all new permanent headteachers in Scotland from 2020.

Shelley McLaren has been teaching for 11 years, 8 of which have been at Craigroyston Community High School in Edinburgh where for the past 18 months she has been headteacher.

“Doing the Into Headship programme has been the best decision I have made and the best experience I have had. The responsibility of being headteacher is huge, as you have so many aspects to managing a school, but the course gave me so much confidence to do my job and helped me to grow my relationships within the school. Through attending the programme, I have met so many headteachers and aspiring headteachers and together we are open and honest with each other and are able to share advice and give each other strength to do our job!”

The Into Headship programme offers support and guidance through a mix of theory and practical examples.

Shelley continues: “It is very challenging academically and you do need to be committed but what you get out of it is so worth it! I learnt so much and created new ideas that I was then able to put into practice back at school. Having the mix of professional and academic reading to support the work was invaluable”

The programme is led by Education Scotland in partnership with local authorities and universities. The application process is managed at local authority level who then provide the names of successful applicants to Education Scotland.

Education Scotland strategic director Gillian Hamilton said: “I’m really pleased that recruitment is now open for the Into Headship programme, which provides high quality professional learning for headteachers. Feedback from previous participants on each of these programmes is consistently positive about the impact of the professional learning on their confidence and knowledge.”

The application process for entry to the programme starts in January each year with recruitment for this year open now. For further information please visit https://teachinscotland.scot/career-progression/

Scotland tops UK for digital proficiency in schools

Survey of 2,000 teachers finds schools in Scotland outperform those across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for availability and application of technology.

Lenovo has commissioned a report from CEBR, Technology in UK Schools, detailing insights into the use of technology in UK schools in 2020, examining the types of technology that have been adopted, how this has been applied, and the ways in which this has shaped the learning environment.

Please see below for the key findings, methodology, recommendations, calls to action, and an overview of Lenovo’s education portfolio in 2020. The full report is also available to share.

This has been achieved by conducting a survey of 2,000 teachers, covering a range of different school types across the UK, alongside one-to-one interviews with experts from the education and tech sectors from Lenovo’s education network in the UK.

As a leading provider of educational technology, Lenovo is committed to building smarter technology to empower students and teachers through personalised education solutions. A trusted technology partner to institutions around the world, Lenovo is enabling new models of teaching, learning and collaborating through cutting-edge solutions, all while managing cost, efficiency, and security.

This report presents a view of:

  • The digital proficiency of schools in the UK, looking at region, school size and category among other factors, rated using a Digital Proficiency Scale developed by CEBR for this report
  • The provision of technology in schools, both for direct use by pupils and in the classroom for teaching purposes;
  • Recommendations and calls to action for improvement in digital proficiency
  • Case studies with first-hand teacher experiences and perspectives
  • Nearly one in ten (8%) schools fall into the inadequate category on the Digital Proficiency Scale developed within this report. One in five (20%) are in the excellent category.
  • One in five (18%) of all private schools fall into the highest scoring group, compared to just 5% of the state schools in the survey. 
  • Scotland emerges as the part of the UK with the highest level of digital proficiency in schools. 
  • Examining the digital proficiency at different stages of the educational system reveals that secondary schools and sixth form colleges score slightly higher than primary schools.
  • Smaller schools have on average a slightly lower overall score whereas bigger schools have a higher degree of technological proficiency.
  • The survey revealed that the number one priority for teachers is to increase the number of computers available to students in school, followed by more provision of training for teachers on the use of technology.
  • Nearly half of students access school computers at least four times a week.
  • It is not very common for schools to provide laptops or tablets that students can bring home. Only 3% of the teachers work at schools where all students are equipped with laptops or tablets that they can bring home. 
  • Microsoft Word and coding are the most common digital skills on the school curriculum. 
  • Teachers are using technology to digitalise their administrative work. 79% of all teachers surveyed responded saying that they are performing some or all their administrative tasks digitally. 

Recommendations

  • Based on the survey results, but also informed by one-to-one expert interviews and a review of existing literature Cebr has developed the following recommendations:
    • There is a need to expand the provision of training to teachers, in order to maximise the effectiveness of new technologies. 
    • Continue to re-orient the curriculum towards developing digital skills for the future such as coding, web-design and technologies of the future. 
    • Encourage information sharing among teachers to improve and inspire usage of new technology and digital skills in classrooms. 
    • Expand funding opportunities for investment in new technologies to address the shortfall identified by teachers and unlock the gains associated with higher workforce productivity in the longer term. 

Calls to action

1. Engage with the teaching community as new technologies are introduced: while only a small percentage of teachers feel there is too much technology in schools, more than two in five (42%) believe the use of technology is currently about right. In order to maximise the effectiveness of new technologies, it is essential that they have the support of the teaching community. This can be achieved by expanding the provision of training to teachers (currently just a quarter of teachers receive training on the use of technology more often than once a year), as well as collaborating with staff on an ongoing basis to ensure that technologies are implemented in a way that aligns with the school’s objectives.

2. Continue to re-orient the curriculum towards developing digital skills for the future: as technology evolves, routine tasks are increasingly likely to become automated, and workers will instead be required to interact with computers in a more involved and creative way. It is therefore essential that schools continue to shift their focus towards developing these deeper digital skills. While it is encouraging that most schools now teach computer programming, the fact that only one in five (21%) include topics relating to technologies of the future such as machine learning or artificial intelligence highlights that there is still progress to be made.

3. Sharing information: the interview with digital technology lead and computing teacher Donna Shah gives further insight into how teachers use technology to share information with colleagues, students and parents. Software programmes such as Microsoft Teams allows communication to increase between teachers and can speed up administrative processes which allows for teachers to spend more times with students. In addition to this, information sharing among teachers can also improve the technological and digital skills of teachers, as they are encouraged to share and learn from each other, which in turn leads to an increase in the quality of digital skills teaching in the classroom.

4. Expand funding opportunities for schools: while there are ways in which schools can upgrade their technological proficiency in a relatively cost effective way, many of the areas of weakness identified in this research require considerable investment in order to be addressed fully. Although the initial costs of technology can be steep, the feedback from teachers and the wider literature is that technology delivers a sizeable boost to educational outcomes, and in the longer term would result in higher workforce productivity.

Methodology

CEBR conducted a survey of 2,000 teachers at UK schools across all regions of the United Kingdom and conducted in-depth interviews with industry experts in order to create this report and its recommendations.

Lenovo Education Portfolio

Lenovo’s mission in education is to provide a purpose-built portfolio that empowers educators to drive positive learning outcomes.  Lenovo continues to offer a broad choice of Chromebook and Windows enabled systems specifically designed for students and teachers. Providing a superior and personalised user experience, the education portfolio features smart and innovative technology to enhance learning engagement.  

An all new Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet is the latest addition and an ideal tool for K-2 students to begin their education journey with problem-solving games, assessments and hands-on learning apps.

Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet

Highlights of 10e Chromebook Tablet:

  • Specifically designed to withstand the rigors of a classroom environment with rubber bumpers and a super tough DragontrailTM Pro Glass that meets MIL-STD-810G testing
  • Powerful but efficient MediaTek processor that conquers daily classroom tasks
  • Versatile detachable keyboard folio case with anchored and water-resistant keys1
  • Eight years of auto-updates2, world-facing camera, Universal Stylus Input support and access to tons of creativity tools and learning apps.

The latest ThinkPad™ 11e Yoga™ is a go-anywhere, do-anything, all-day learning machine, with the flexibility offered by its convertible form factor. Thinner and lighter than ever (19.9mm and 3.1 pounds), ThinkPad 11e Yoga Gen 6 is ideal for any grade level or teaching style.

ThinkPad 11e Yoga Gen 6

Highlights of ThinkPad 11e Yoga:

  • Durability of ThinkPad Education design specifications that meets MIL-STD-810G testing with rubber bumpers and Corning GorillaTM Glass
  • Powerful Intel® processor that meets the needs of any students or teachers
  • Versatility of Pencil Touch Technology allowing students to use a No. 2 pencil to interact directly with the screen, and an optional garaged active pen when more precision is required
  • Optional World-Facing Camera making it easier to record and take pictures and videos in all modes

Lenovo is also refreshing the 2nd generation of 100e, 300e and 500e Chromebooks and 100e, 300e Windows with the latest processors to provide the best performance and experience for students and educators.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$50 billion Fortune Global 500 company, with 57,000 employees and operating in 180 markets around the world. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, we are developing world-changing technologies that create a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society. By designing, engineering and building the world’s most complete portfolio of smart devices and infrastructure, we’re also leading an Intelligent Transformation to create better experiences and opportunities for millions of customers around the world. To find out more, visit https://www.lenovo.com, follow us on LinkedInFacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramWeibo and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

BookTrust delighted by record total raised as over 8,000 people donate to Christmas Appeal

BookTrust is delighted by donations to its Christmas fundraising appeal, which raised a record £240,000 which is an incredible £47,000 over the target amount.

The campaign caught the public’s attention immediately after launching on 4th November, which saw more people donating straight away than last year. On Giving Tuesday and the day after, BookTrust received a record 1,653 donations in just two days.

The festive appeal forms part of the Letterbox project, which sends book parcels out to children who are vulnerable or in care. For many of these children, it’s the first time they have owned a book. BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, called on the public to donate £10 to donate a special book parcel and brighten up a child’s Christmas. Over 8,000 people made donations to the appeal and 12,480 parcels were delivered to the children.

BookTrust carefully chose six beautiful hardback books for children aged 3-13. Each parcel contains one book, a letter from award winning author and current Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell, a poster and bookmark created by Neal Layton, and a postcard.

Children across the UK are enrolled for the Letterbox Club by local authorities and schools. Each child receives a parcel of books, maths games, stationery and other high-quality materials once every month for six months, from May to October.

Diana Gerald, BookTrust CEO, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled by the support from the public and thanks to so many generous donations, we have been able to send a festive gift of a book to each of the 12,250 children in our 2019 Letterbox programme.

“We would like to thank everyone who donated and helped to light up Christmas for so many children who are vulnerable or in care with the gift of a story.”

BookTrust will be using the additional £120,000 to reach more vulnerable children through its programmes and activities. For instance, through Bookstart Corner, which is a free programme aimed at families with very young children who need additional support and help to engage in reading.

For more information, visit booktrust.org.uk.

Test the safety of your school during Bett 2020

Prowise presents key foundations for privacy and security in the classroom

During Bett, the world’s largest education fair which takes place from 22 to 25 January in London, visitors can arm themselves against potential dangers in the classroom. In a special ‘privacy and security zone’ safety in schools can be tested.

Security is a hot topic in the world of education. There is almost no ‘industry’ in which so much privacy-sensitive data is circulating. Personal data, test results and other privacy-sensitive information are reviewed daily in the classroom. That’s why as a school, especially with the future of children and students in mind, you want everything to be set in place perfectly in terms of privacy and security. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, there are dangers lurking that not everyone is aware of.

Take, for example, the recent major cyber attack at Maastricht University. The university was forced to pay a ‘ransom‘ to hackers in order to secure student data and nullify the consequences of the data breach.

Arm yourself against dangers

The special privacy and security zone on the Prowise stand is called ‘Creating a Safe Classroom Environment’. Nine themes (from data storage to hackers) which focus on security in the modern classroom allow visitors to review how privacy is organised in their schools. All the key areas in the field of privacy and security that teachers, pupils and directors have to deal with every day. Sometimes without them noticing it. Time to open your eyes and protect yourself against possible dangers.

Secure digitization

With ‘Creating a Safe Classroom Environment’ schools test which dangers are around the corner in the classroom, to what extent they are prepared for them and what they can do about them. Prowise is the only touchscreen supplier to meet the strict privacy requirements of the UK Ministry of Defence. As a result, Prowise has been the regular supplier of touchscreens and interactive board software to various Defence training institutes for a number of years. The Dutch company has already launched the safe interactive whiteboard selection guide and is happy to help schools towards a safe digitisation of the classroom.

In this way, teachers can do what they do best in a safe and carefree way: teaching passionately.

Prowise’s privacy experts cordially invite interested parties to the Bett stand in London: SG20. More information about all Prowise products, classroom security and the stand can be found at bett.prowise.com.

York St John University chooses TechnologyOne to revolutionise HR and Finance

Common ethical culture makes TechnologyOne the perfect partner for University’s digital goals

York St John University has chosen TechnologyOne to transform its HR, Finance and Payroll systems. TechnologyOne’s OneEducation Software as a Service (SaaS) solution will form part of the University’s digital strategy, which aims to provide a personalised and seamless digital experience for staff and students in the next year. OneEducation will unify three vital university functions and replace separate legacy systems.

York St John University chose TechnologyOne during a competitive tender process because the company and its approach matched its own ethical focus and business goals.

Paul Revell, Head of Procurement at York St John University commented: “As we underwent the tender process, it became clear that other providers in the market couldn’t satisfy us that their solutions would meet all our needs, unlike TechnologyOne. In TechnologyOne we’ve not only found a partner that can support our transformation ambitions, but a company that shares our ethos and works in the same way. We’re replacing our three solutions, all over a decade old, with TechnologyOne’s more harmonious approach. OneEducation is going to enable our Finance and HR teams to improve our payroll procedures and better manage our sick and absence leave, as well as the performance and promotion pathways for our 900 staff.

“We chose to partner with TechnologyOne because we immediately saw that for them, business with us was not just about short-term gains, or profit before people. TechnologyOne has a set of values that echoes our own and understands our perspective on providing a unique environment for our staff and students.”

The OneEducation SaaS solution from TechnologyOne will help York St John to:

●               Move from technology systems that have grown organically to a more strategic, interoperable solution, which provides efficiencies from day one

●               Easily access HR and Finance data that was previously held on disparate systems, such as complete supplier profiles, to improve tender processes

●               Improve information flow between the HR and Payroll teams, for example, new starter details

●               Transform system communication between the University’s York and London campuses, eradicating duplication

●               Implement true procurement self-service – providing staff with access to HR and Finance data including a catalogue of approved suppliers and products from an online purchasing system

Paul Revell continued: “We are genuinely excited to be working with TechnologyOne as we embark upon a new phase in our University’s transformation. For us, it’s not just new software replacing old. We’re committed as a team to eradicating inefficiencies and controlling the impact our systems and processes have on our staff and students.”

TechnologyOne’s Chief Executive Officer, Ed Chung, commented: “We’re delighted that York St John has become our second UK HR, Payroll and Financials customer and that we’re partnering with an institution that shares our values. Paul and his team were drawn to our approach and our commitment to philanthropy at TechnologyOne, which is a source of great pride to our team members.”

Following an Autumn 2019 procurement, York St John University has worked with TechnologyOne to appoint a project team. Now in the design phase, the system is expected to go live in August 2020.

Ranked: The school tasks teachers think they are spending too much time on

  • Both primary (65%) and secondary (78%) school teachers think general administrative work is the non-teaching task they are spending too much time on
  • Equally primary (52%) and secondary (41%) school teachers place organising resources and premises, setting up displays, setting up/tidying classrooms as the support/management activity they are spending too much time on
  • Interestingly, 53% of primary and 61% of second school teachers believe they are spending too many hours on marking and correcting pupils’ work

In the backdrop of constant budget cuts, teachers are under huge pressure to provide students the best possible educational experience with the resources available to them.

This challenge can be signified by recent research by UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE), who found that one in four teachers worryingly work more than 60 hours a week.

Interested in teachers’ workloads, TheKnowledgeAcademy.com analysed the latest findings from Gov.uk, who surveyed 4,329 primary and secondary school teachers across the UK to discover the non-teaching tasks as well as the support/management activities they think they are currently spending too much time on. 

The Knowledge Academy found that both primary (65%) and secondary (78%) school teachers think they are spending too much time on general administrative work.

Thereafter, primary school teachers believe they are spending too much time on individual planning/preparation of lessons (56%).

Whilst, secondary school teachers rank marking/correcting pupils’ work (61%) as the second non-teaching task they are spending too much time on.

Contrastingly, only 11% of primary school teachers think they are spending too much time on pupil counselling. On the other hand, just 9% of secondary school teachers equally state they are spending too much time on engaging in extracurricular activities as well as on teamwork/dialogue with fellow colleagues.

Both primary (52%) and secondary (41%) school teachers place organising resources and premises, setting up displays, setting up/tidying classrooms as the support/management activity they primarily perceive to be spending more time on than they would like to. 

Although 41% of secondary school teachers also feel they are spending too much time on staff meetings. Interestingly, 33% of primary school teachers say the same thing about staff meetings.

Opposingly, just 10% of primary school teachers believe they are spending too much time on appraising, monitoring, coaching, mentoring and training other teaching staff.

Whilst only 9% of secondary school’s teachers think they are spending too much time contacting people or organisations outside of school other than parents.