Legionella in Schools: Key points for good water management

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Author: Paul Limbrick, Senior Consultant, Water Hygiene Centre Ltd

 

Good water hygiene management within school properties can be distilled into the following areas:

1 – Establishing the level of water hygiene risk;

2 – Devising an action plan proportionate to risk;

3 – Evidencing how risk has been suitably managed.

ACoP L8 and HSG 274 Part 2 provide practical advice and guidance on how this can be achieved – to help ensure compliance with health and safety laws.

Establishing the level of risk within school properties can be further compartmentalised into two main areas:

1 – Management policy;

2 – Operations.

Starting with management policy; it’s important to identify a hierarchy of authority (communications pathway/organogram) for water hygiene management ensuring that those responsible are demonstrably competent to undertake their role. Doing so will help the organisation to suitably delineate between management and operational water hygiene responsibilities. Moreover, estates, facilities and/or caretaking staff will invariably accept responsibility for planned preventative and reactive maintenance tasks (as ‘authorised’ or ‘competent’ persons), whereas staff members with a strategic water hygiene responsibility (often estates) may accept responsibility for managing the organisational written scheme of control (sometimes referred to as the water safety plan).

The responsibility to manage and deliver the organisational written scheme of control typically falls within the role of the ‘responsible person’ (RP). Nominating a demonstrably competent person (known as the RP) for water hygiene is a legal requirement and is a role of significant responsibility as the duty holder, or ‘directing mind’ of the organisation – often the Chancellor or Principal, may be the head teacher of a school (depending on the type of school) and may not necessarily possess the technical knowledge, qualifications, water hygiene experience or expertise to adequately execute the duties of the RP and therefore authority may be delegated by the duty holder to an RP. This may help to ensure that the estate is managed in accordance with accepted practices and that assurances are provided to occupiers of the estate (teaching staff, students) regarding protection from waterborne pathogens such as Legionella and associated infection and disease.

 

Whilst many of the operational and managerial water hygiene responsibilities may be delegated, it is noteworthy that the duty holder will retain accountability for ‘water and Legionella risk’. It may be prudent to consider this when planning the resources and budget required to ensure that all health and safety concerns are adequately addressed. The threat from Legionnaires’ Disease is considered ‘preventable’ and when contracted from an estate, invariably there will be legal ramifications…

Once the management structure has been agreed and formalised within a policy document, water management considerations now become more ‘operational’. For example, a good starting point for a school, as for any organisation, would be to commission a site-specific water risk assessment with accompanying schematics. Carrying out a site-specific risk assessment is an absolute requirement under health and safety law. Provided that the risk assessment is accurate and completed in accordance with British Standard 8580-1 then the full extent of the water safety risk will be captured. The risk assessment should include a survey that includes all the systems that may contribute to or cause a risk of waterborne infection. Risks should be evaluated and quantified based on the likelihood of Legionella contamination within a given system and the consequence of infection from this bacteria, using a scoring system for example.

School water systems that could present a risk will more than likely include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

  • Domestic cold-water systems – cold water (i.e. less than 20°C) is to be achieved at the outlet within two minutes. This should be confirmed by monthly monitoring from sentinel outlets (i.e. those nearest and farthest from the water source);
  • Domestic hot-water systems – hot water should be heated to at least 60°C and be distributed to all parts of the system at 50°C or above. Hot water should achieve temperature within 1-minute of opening the outlet. This should be confirmed by monthly monitoring of sentinel outlets or, where there is pumped hot water circulation, by monitoring the temperature at the farthest point on the recirculating pipework;
  • Showers – ensure that these outlets are cleaned and descaled at least quarterly and used or flushed at least once weekly. If showers are infrequently used they should be removed or flushed regularly. Flushing activities are to be captured in a documented programme with records kept as evidence;
  • Wash hand basin tap outlets – ensure that all outlets are used or flushed at least once weekly. Similarly, if there are infrequently used outlets then they should be removed or captured in the aforementioned flushing programme;
  • Cold water storage tanks (stored cold water) – ensure that temperature within the tank is less than 20°C and that storage capacity does not exceed 24-hours of supply;
  • Hot water generators/boilers (stored hot water) – stored hot water should be no less than 60°C and therefore flow at no less than 60°C from the boiler;
  • Thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) – depending on the asset which the TMV is serving, then water temperature should be regulated to 41°C +/- 2°C in order to mitigate scald risk. However, this falls within temperature range that encourages the growth of waterborne bacteria (20-45°C ) and therefore these risk systems should be dismantled, cleaned, disinfected and functional checks at least annually.

The HSE’s HSG274 Technical Guidance, Part 2, Table 2.1 provides practical guidance on the minimum requirements for the management of these systems. Therefore, whilst it’s not mandatory to follow the guidance, bear in mind that should the guidance not be followed then an organisation will need to demonstrate that they have achieved either an equivalent or better standard.

Once the risk assessments have been completed, an assessment of perceived inherent and actual risk will be provided by the surveyor. In practice, this often generates recommendations on how water safety risk can be reduced within the estate. The risk assessment can therefore be used to inform the written scheme of control and assist with the development of an action plan that identifies the corrective action to be taken as well as realistic timescales for completion. Schools, as with all organisations, must at this stage identify what is reasonable and practicable to include within the action plan to help ensure that the water safety management approach remains sustainable for the organisation. Accepted health and safety principles in the UK encourage a balance between risk, cost and difficulty in the actions that are taken; which may necessitate the inclusion of some works and the derogation of others.

Finally, for all planned preventative maintenance works or reactive maintenance works, it is imperative that comprehensive and complete records are kept and are easily accessible. A failure to provide enough evidence to demonstrate that a system is under control could be interpreted as a failure to ensure that service users are safe.

 

 

Key learnings for cleaning routines

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As pupils across the UK continue to return to in-person learning after 20 months of significant disruption, consistently ensuring the safety and wellbeing of every individual within a school environment has never been more important.

 

Here Zac Hemming, Managing Director of ICE Cleaning, explores how cleaning routines have evolved and the dedicated virus and bacteria sanitisation programmes that education providers should be implementing to provide teachers and students with the highest standards of protection and the confidence to return to the classroom.

 

The collaborative nature of school environments, combined with the sheer number of pupils and staff that occupy them, has provided viruses and bacteria with the opportunity to spread, particularly throughout the winter, where the common cold and flu can be easily transferred throughout high trafficked areas including classrooms, corridors and toilets.

 

However, the severity of COVID-19 and its high-risk ability to be transferred between individuals in close proximity via airborne or surface contact has caused the education sector to completely re-evaluate its approach to cleanliness and hygiene, with sanitisation and prevention now playing a central role in daily, weekly and monthly cleaning routines.

 

As the government continues to prioritise in person education for all pupils, education providers are having to undertake a proactive approach to prevention, whilst simultaneously ensuring minimal disruption to pupils’ education and overall learning experience.

 

The government’s Schools COVID-19 operational guidance, which has been created in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE), shares information on targeted interventions that can be applied to reduce risk.

 

This is encapsulated throughout four control measures, with ensuring good hygiene for everyone and maintaining appropriate cleaning regimes the two leading considerations that education providers must address. This also includes ensuring occupied spaces are well ventilated and following public health advice on testing, self-isolation and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19.

 

Taking a proactive approach to protection

By focusing on hygiene behaviour and incorporating additional preventative measures into established cleaning routines, professionals can successfully break the chain of infection. This includes additional treatments, such as monthly decontamination plans, which ensure the consistent sanitisation of high touch surfaces, including door handles and shared facilities, such as computers and desks, which are used by multiple individuals every day.

 

The rapid advancement in cleaning technologies is also supporting education providers in successfully fulfilling these aims, with the latest chemicals and dispensing systems setting the standard for a new generation of commercial cleaning that is lightyears apart from the cleaning regimes previously delivered and expected.

 

Whilst some may utilise a traditional fogging machine to apply the relevant chemicals to help mitigate against the spread of bacteria and viruses on surfaces and key touchpoints, the latest progressions in electrostatic technology have created a dispensing system that, when combined with best in class chemicals, achieves a longer dwell time on surfaces.

 

This enables the chemicals to effectively ‘wrap’ around surfaces to guarantee protection against viruses for up to 28 days, eliminating the opportunity for the cleaning chemicals to drip off high frequency touchpoints, which may potentially occur with other methods of application.

 

The electrostatic technology features positively charged electrostatic particles, which attach themselves to negatively charged particles found on solid surfaces, whilst simultaneously counteracting any negatively charged particles within the atmosphere. This effectively destroys 99.9% of traces of coronavirus and other bacteria and viruses on surfaces within a school environment.

 

By applying these sanitisation plans on a monthly basis, in addition to established daily and weekly cleaning routines, schools can fulfil their duty of care, whilst demonstrating to teachers, pupils and their parents the measures that are being taken to ensure their safety and wellbeing whilst they are at school.

 

ICE Cleaning’s unique ICE SHIELD® service utilises electrostatic technology to effectively destroy 99.9% of traces of coronavirus and other bacteria and viruses, including norovirus and influenza.

 

By incorporating this protection into monthly cleaning routines, with a 28-day decontamination certificate supplied after each procedure to demonstrate due diligence, schools can ensure every area of their facilities are adequately protected, from classrooms to corridors, gyms to toilets.

 

Prevention in practice

The London Exam Centre has recently partnered with ICE Cleaning to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its staff and students, by successfully eliminating the spread of viruses and bacteria.

 

Forming part of Wimbledon School of English, The London Exam Centre offers a wide range of examination options, including authorised Cambridge assessments, with both computer-based and paper-based testing available to students throughout the year. 

 

As an educational institution that processes around 9,000 candidates per year, it recognised the importance of protecting the health and wellbeing of its staff and students by creating a safe and hygienic learning environment.

 

In order to reduce the threat of viruses and bacteria spreading, The London Exam Centre appointed ICE Cleaning to deliver ICE SHIELD® each month to eradicates all traces of viruses throughout the school.

 

Zac Hemming, Managing Director of ICE Cleaning, commented: “Educational institutions, such as The London Exam Centre, have remained open for a large part of the pandemic. As a result, they have had to implement strict health and safety measures to ensure both students and staff are sufficiently protected at all times.

“To create the safest possible environment, our team of highly skilled experts complete a thorough deep clean of the centre once a month, which includes our ICE SHIELD® treatment. The treatment forms a protective barrier that lasts up to 28 days, making it the most effective form of protection for a school environment, whilst ensuring minimal disruption to students and staff.”

 

Martin Cowdrey, Maintenance Support at Wimbledon School of English, commented: “After researching suitable cleaning companies to use at Wimbledon School of English and The London Exam Centre, we selected ICE Cleaning for its wide range of cleaning services. The quality of the services that ICE Cleaning provide are high and have met the needs of our business in these different times.”

 

Zac continued: “It is vital that the services we provide not only protect students and staff, but also offer reassurance that exams and assessments can go ahead as planned. By creating a clean and hygienic environment, students and teachers can focus on the task at hand, whether that’s an exam they are sitting or classes they are attending.” 

ICE Cleaning is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with an emergency response team able to arrive on-site within an hour. The company’s expert technicians are trained to the highest standards, whilst adhering to all the relevant health and safety regulations. For more information, visit icecleaning.co.uk or call 02039 932940.

EDUCATION LEADERS URGED TO UNPLUG AND RECONNECT AT BETT

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Education leaders and teachers are being urged to ‘unplug and reconnect’ in person at Bett this coming January.

 

Organisers at the world’s biggest EdTech show are inviting the education community to emerge from behind the screen and come together face-to-face to connect, learn, share ideas and experiences and ultimately “create the future” of education.

 

The show is returning after 18 months of disruption and accelerated adoption of technology, where educators were forced to pivot and deliver lessons in unprecedented circumstances.

 

With all content sessions CPD-accredited, educators can even gain active learning CPD-points by taking part at the event, across the week.

 

Bett is the place for education leaders, teachers and tech pioneers to celebrate, find inspiration and discuss the future of education including the latest thinking on pedagogy, digital strategy and policy implementation.

 

Thousands have already signed up to the event, held on 19- 21 January 2022 at ExCeL London.

 

Exhibitors and sponsors will range from tech superpowers such as Microsoft, Google, Lenovo and Pearson to specialist education suppliers such as Arbor Education, NetSupport, Promethean and 2Simple to rising start-up stars – offering impactful solutions for institutions of all sizes and all budgets.

 

High-profile speakers include one of the world’s leading authorities on growth mindset, Eduardo Briceño, the comedian and actor Sally Phillips, who will speak about home schooling during lockdown and life with a SEN child, and Gogglebox favourite Baasit Siddiqui, whose Siddiqui Education organisation helps boost the morale and achievements of disadvantaged pupils.

 

Eve Harper, Bett Event Director said: “Bett brings people together to network and have meaningful conversations. Despite our focus on tech, we find that the best way to make sense of the plethora of technological solutions is to engage in-person. A range of new offerings coupled with familiar faces from the worlds of education and technology make this the main meeting point for the entire education sector.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She added: ‘We will have thousands of attendees and some exciting speakers and solution providers, from Eduardo Briceño, one of the biggest proponents of the growth mindset, to Sally Phillips, an actor with a passion for connecting pupils with SEND.”

 

A new esports feature will take place at Bett, allowing educators to see how esports is more than gaming and could in fact be the secret weapon in encouraging learning, promoting teamwork and communication.

 

Higher Education leaders will also welcome a new co-located event designed just for them – Ahead by Bett, while global education leaders and change makers can convene at Learnit.

 

Places are free for all attendees.

 

Registration is open now at:  

Tracking link: https://uk.bettshow.com/visitor-registration?utm_source=media_partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pressrelease01

 

For more information see uk.bettshow.com

Tracking link: https://uk.bettshow.com/welcome?utm_source=media_partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pressrelease01

 

For media and press enquiries, contact Alice Stephens, alice.stephens@withpr.co.uk or bett@withpr.co.uk  tel 020 7249 7769 

 

Submit your idea for speaking on stage – visit: https://uk.bettshow.com/about/contact-us?utm_source=media_partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pressrelease01

 

Enquire about exhibiting or sponsoring – visit: https://uk.bettshow.com/exhibit-sponsor?utm_source=media_partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pressrelease01

New whitepaper shares ways to overcome higher education marketing challenges in 2022

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Award winning, data-powered integrated agency, Jaywing, a key player in the digital and creative strategies of many of the UK’s leading education institutions, has launched a new whitepaper aimed at the higher education sector.  

 

The paper aims to be a tool for marketers that sheds light on what drives student acquisition and spotlights how organisations can adapt to ongoing needs for digital transformation to build a robust high performing, higher education brand for the future.  

 

The findings of the report suggest three main focal points for marketing and developing a solid identity within the higher education market. These are: 

  • Driving student acquisition through strategic choice in marketing and communications,  
  • Creating digital-first experiences  
  • Building a brand  

These have been recognised as the stand-out components needed to make an impact within the education sector going into 2022. 

 

The higher education sector has seen unprecedented disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic – with institution revenue challenged by declining income, increased deferment of places from international students, and increasing uncertainty about Government grant provision.  

 

Yet, this is somewhat offset by the record-breaking number of UK undergraduate admissions for the 2021-2022 academic year, making the path forward for institutions even more uncertain. 

Ensuring effective recruitment for the 2022-2023 cycle is more important than ever and institutions must work harder to build brands that cut through to attract students, while at the same time embracing the value and importance of effective marketing performance to increase and convert undergraduate applications. 

 

Brian Taylor, Managing Director at Jaywing says: “Following two years of unprecedented disruption and challenges in the sector, we felt this was a key time to consolidate our expert opinion and data driven insights in a white paper aimed at helping those working in education marketing.  Using our data insight and audience research, we have been able to define the optimum digital experience, acquisition strategy, and maximise engagement.” 

Jaywing’s higher education sector clients include major higher education institutions such as University of Nottingham, University of Sunderland and the University of Brighton among others. The report can be downloaded here: How to build high-performance higher education brands | Jaywing 

 

Ultra-protection for school technology: Survivor® launches All-Terrain antimicrobial iPad cases to help schools prioritise health and safety in the new term.

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Survivor’s All-Terrain antimicrobial cases with embedded defence against surface bacteria offer the latest in safety and health technology, ultra-protection, engineering, and design.

London, UK. – September 2021 – Survivor®, the award-winning designer and leading expert in
innovative device protection, launches its reimagined All-Terrain range of versatile and field-tested
protective iPad cases for education. Survivor® All-Terrain offers a carefully engineered antimicrobial
and drop protection solution to everyday on-the-go device operation for iPad 10.2" (8th & 7th
Generation).
Schools are looking for new solutions to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other viruses in
order to minimise school closures and student absence in the new term. The All-Terrain iPad 10.2"
cases were re-designed for schools and work settings as a response to the rising concerns around
general hygiene safety in our environments.
Survivor® All-Terrain was engineered with embedded antimicrobial defense that eliminates and
prevents 99.9% of surface bacteria while offering long-lasting antibacterial and antifungal
protection, making them more suitable for school and business settings. Health and safety is the top
priority for schools looking for ways to keep students safe while engaging them in technology-based
activities. Survivor® is a tried, tested and science-backed solution offering maximum protection
against germs.
Delivering the latest in safety and health technology, the All-Terrain tablet cases were designed with
smooth edges to eliminate bacterial traps, prevent bacterial growth, and allow easy wipe down. As
well as this, All-Terrain cases are built with durable materials capable of withstanding medical-grade
cleaning agents, to guarantee long lasting 360-degree device protection.
“The pandemic changed the way children engage with technology forever,” said Lorna Brightman,
Director Of Sales in EMEA.

“A top priority for school leaders right now is creating a safer more stimulating, and interactive
learning environment for students. Survivor’s solution aims to support schools to overcome this
challenge. The All-Terrain cases are an example of Survivor’s expertise in protection engineering for
everyone. Through careful testing, forward-thinking and innovation, we have created a product that
is designed to protect you as well as your technology.”
All-Terrain Survivor® cases are carefully engineered with 3X layers of shock-absorbing material upon
impact and 2X military-grade drop protection. Although slim, it features a raised edge screen bezel
that provides a shatter-resistant line of defence against face impacts, drops and bumps. A dust-
resistant port plug and button cover protector ensures your device stays clear of foreign debris while
preserving connectivity. All-Terrain is perfectly suited for hands-on, on-the-go device operation and
capable of withstanding the everyday challenges, work, play and clumsy fingers.
All-Terrain cases are impressively versatile, with a detachable kickstand/handstrap for precision and
easy manoeuvring. In addition to these features, these cases are easily adaptable to your everyday
needs and compatible with all accessories in the Survivor® Modular Ecosystem, including a shoulder
strap, pencil tether and cupholder mount. An integrated Apple Pencil and Logitech Crayon storage
on the side keeps the accessories secure, protected and easily accessible.
Survivor® products undergo rigorous testing to ensure optimal dependability, durability and
performance. They are guaranteed for life and backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Pricing & Availability:
Survivor All-Terrain (2021) for iPad 10.2" (8th & 7th Generation) RRP £79.99
The All-Terrain iPad 10.2" cases are now available at Getsurvivor.co.uk/collections/ipad-10-2-2021.
For corporate/business-to-business sales and opportunities: lbrightman@incipio.com

Lessons learned from remote education

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~ Teaching won’t be the same again, thanks to new technology ~

 

Before March 2020, catching ‘fresher’s flu’ was a right of passage for university students. Fast forward 18 months and students around the world stayed indoors to keep illness at bay. However, the pandemic has taught the education sector an important lesson — the value of selecting the right communication tools. Here, Ginelle Bell, UK country manager at Cloud communications provider Ringover, explains more.

 

According to UNESCO, more than 1.5 billion students around the world were forced out of their typical learning settings in 2020, with many participating in lessons online. Globally, education in the 21st century has never seen so much disruption and it has prompted critical conversations about the role of technology in delivering education.

 

Education isn’t the only sector that’s facing an overhaul. Over the course of the pandemic, and for several more years to come, communication technologies have grown increasingly more sophisticated. The UK increased its fibre connections by 50 per cent in 2020, and while its broadband connectivity stills lags behind many other countries, the nation is undergoing massive change. As Openreach switches of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), every business will be communicating differently by 2025.

 

Research by broadband company Zen shows that 17 per cent of large organisations are still unaware of the switch off. Education facilities also risk becoming out of the technology loop, if they don’t learn from the past 28 months.

 

Going remote

Throughout much of 2020 and 2021, educators had no choice but to deliver teaching remotely. However, even though in-person teaching has widely resumed, distance learning could become an increasingly favoured choice, rather than an obligation.

 

Distance learning isn’t a phenomena of today’s society. Back in 1969, The Open University (OU) pioneered the concept by offering students the chance to gain a degree without needing to set foot on campus. It was a radical idea for its time — yet proved highly popular. By the time applications closed for its first year of enrolment, the university had received over 100,000 applications.

 

However, The OU’s popularity has decreased over time with numbers of full-time enrolments slipping over the past decade. But things could be set to shift again. Increased demand for upskilling and reskilling, as well as an emphasis in the attractiveness of online learning spurred on by the pandemic, has caused a surge in OU registrations.

 

Overall, the total number of OU students enrolled for the 2020/21 academic year is up 15 per cent on last year — from just over 141,000 to more than 163,000. While distance learning has seemed like a short term fix to keep people safe, it’s also encouraged a newfound appreciation for the teaching method that could lead to long-term behavioural changes.

Getting prepared

We won’t be saying goodbye to fresher’s flu any time soon. While most forms of education continue in person, education facilities shouldn’t neglect the promise of distance learning.

 

What’s more, the past 18 months has taught every industry to expect the unexpected. Most businesses were not prepared to go remote overnight at the start of the pandemic, and education was no exception. However, having the right tools in place to ensure distance learning can be carried out effectively is the best way to plan for any other unforeseen circumstances.

 

One essential piece of any education facility’s armoury is the right communication tools. In particular, facilities should opt for a Cloud-based solution. Cloud-based platforms provide an easy way for educational institutes to streamline their academic communications and collaborations. They can achieve this by combining real-time voice, video and messaging capabilities with their business applications.

 

Using Cloud-based software that enables Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)  makes it easy for students and teachers to interact collaboratively by using real-time messaging and video. This can effectively improve completing group projects, enhances the way teachers communicate with students and cuts down obstacles in the system of education. Because technologies such as VoIP enable calls through the Internet, rather than a fixed telephone line, it’s far easier for education providers to interact with geographically dispersed students and with less ongoing costs.

 

90 per cent of data breaches are a result of human error, and using the Cloud to manage communication tools and store their associated data can help universities better manage sensitive information.

 

At Ringover, another huge benefit we see for VoIP technologies in education is its scalability. Our own software can be easily scaled to suit the size and needs of any business, whether it requires a complete professional phone system or additions to its existing infrastructure. With collaboration tools such as screen sharing, instant messaging and video conferencing, Ringover’s software can help facilities of any size communicate effectively.

 

After several weeks of getting to know each other, it’s likely many students are battling fresher’s flu right now. However, no matter which education route a person chooses, having access to effective communications tools is crucial. Post-pandemic education won’t look the same as it did previously, and having scalable, streamlined software in place will help any facility to future proof.

TrilbyTV releases free Black Pioneers signage content in celebration of Black History Month

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Digital signage software company TrilbyTV has released a fantastic set of free signage content showing Black Pioneers in celebration of Black History Month. Originating in the United States in 1970, the month-long event has now received recognition from nations across the globe. 

 

In recognition of Black History Month, the team at TrilbyTV has created a set of content celebrating pioneering figures from history and are giving this content to the TrilbyTV community and beyond to add to their signage. The individuals featured on the slides are from all over the world, as well as a few British figures.

 

Five slides including; Martin Luther King Jr, Mary Mahoney, Alexandre Dumas, Bessie Coleman and Elijah McCoy are available for anyone to download here. They can be used on digital signage screens, in presentations or even wall displays.

 

An additional 35 inspirational individuals can also be added via TrilbyTV’s Content Catalogue which works as if you had added the content yourself. You can add or remove slides, edit times and dates, and add your information to the mix. It’s a couple of taps to get this great content to start playing on your screens. 

 

TrilbyTV Director, Ben Stanley said,

 

“Learning about our own identity and history is critical in forming our world view and understanding others identities helps us build respect for those around us. We hope with the release of these slides, we help to highlight the global contributions these pioneers made. Contributions that we all continue to benefit from today.”

 

Each slide appears alongside a brief description of the pioneer’s great achievements. It’s a brilliant tool to encourage pupils to research and subsequently explore more about these key figures in global history, thus inspiring the next generation.

 

ABOUT TrilbyTV

 

TrilbyTV, created in 2015, is the number one digital signage platform made for education. Founders Ben Stanley & Neil Emery were technology trainers, who were fed up of walking into reception areas and seeing TV screens switched off. After investigating further and plugging in a cable or two, they’d usually find the Christmas play pictures from five years ago. When looking into why the screens were switched off initially, there seemed to be a pattern; the software was too hard to use and had to be constantly micromanaged by the IT department. This is why they created TrilbyTV, the easy to use digital signage software that gives users ownership and control of their own content. 

The platform offers a full range of content options for digital signage including video, slideshows, Twitter feeds and web content. It also contains a content catalogue, full of education-focused ready to use content from well known and trusted organisations.

More About TrilbyTV – https://www.trilbytv.co.uk/ 

New global report points to overworked, underpaid, and undervalued teaching profession

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Report assesses status of teachers and the teaching profession in an era of COVID-19

On World Teachers’ Day, education unions are raising the alarm as new research shows that teachers around the world are overworked, underpaid, and undervalued.

Brussels, 05-10-2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on the education sector.  With school closures around the world, there has been an increased public appreciation of teachers and the work they do. However, this awareness has not led to structural improvements such as investment, support, and better working conditions for professional educators. In fact, education budgets have fallen by 65 per cent in low- and middle-income countries, and 33 per cent in upper-middle- and high-income countries.[1]

The 2021 Education International[2] report on the Global Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession, which surveyed 128 education union leaders and officials in 94 countries and across all levels of education, points to system wide conditions which are failing to attract a new generation of educators to the profession. The continued teacher shortage undermines the right of every learner to be taught by a qualified teacher.

“What are we learning in this pandemic? First, teachers and Education Support Personnel have gone above and beyond for their students. This report is a clear indication that governments need to make an urgent investment in teachers and the students they educate. Increasing teacher salaries and reducing workload is essential to recruit the best people into the profession and ensure quality education for all,” stated David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International.

“Recent policy moves tend to shift responsibility, and blame, onto teachers for issues that systems should be providing support for. An intelligent professional agenda requires a collective, joint negotiated plan with the profession. This should be seen as a foundational move towards intelligent professionalism. The joint development of the Global Framework of Professional Teaching Standards by Education International and UNESCO is exemplary in this regard.”

The report, authored by Professor Greg Thompson, Queensland University of Technology in Australia, outlines the factors affecting the status of education workers worldwide, such as pay and working conditions, as well as professional autonomy and the portrayal of teachers in the media. Some of the main findings include:

  • Teacher pay is too low, conditions are deteriorating, and infrastructure to support teaching and learning is not a priority for government investment. Over 42 per cent of respondents stated that there had been a deterioration in teachers’ working conditions over the last three years. 84 per cent indicated that salaries had decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Workload has intensified. Over 55 per cent of respondents stated that workloads were unmanageable. Over 66 per cent of respondents felt that “administrivia” requirements were contributing to the excessive workload pressures for education professionals.
  • Teacher attrition was reported as an issue at all academic levels, with primary education (33.1 per cent) the highest and higher education (17.3 per cent) the lowest. 48 per cent of respondents think the teaching profession is not an attractive profession for young people.
  • Precarious employment is growing. Almost 60 per cent of respondents pointed to the use of casual and short-term contracts to employ teachers and academics. In some settings, including sub-Saharan Africa and South-West Asia, many contract teachers described receiving less pay than permanent teachers, inadequate professional support, and poor working conditions.
  • Continuous Professional Development remains insufficient for teachers. Many perceived it to be of poor quality, not directly relevant to the issues that teachers were facing, and came at personal financial cost without clear career benefits (see tables 106-112).

The respondents were also asked their recommendations to improve the status of the profession and stated that a focus on pay, conditions, and particularly workload would be valuable elements. Positive policies and practices include hiring adequate numbers of teachers, trainers, and education support personnel and ensuring that education systems be well-resourced to ensure high-quality education.
 

To access the full report on the Global Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession, by Thompson, G. (2021), please click here. The executive summary can be found here.
 

Over a quarter of teachers fear further Covid-19 disruption will be the biggest challenge to the Autumn term

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  • Addressing the attainment gap arising from Covid-19 disruption (20%) and the mental health of pupils (14%) were also reported as expected challenges – with 1 in 4 teachers concerned that the maths attainment gap will be hardest to close
  • 71% of teacher’s reported their confidence in using edtech has increased – a 7% increase compared to June 2020

 

New research from Renaissance, a leading provider of edtech solutions to improve outcomes and accelerate learning, has revealed that over a quarter of teachers (27%) believe Covid-19 related disruption will be the biggest challenge this Autumn term. The research asked almost five hundred (472) senior school leaders, department heads, and teachers about their thoughts and concerns as the new school term got underway.  

 

Covid-19 disruption such as closures and children isolating were cited as the largest expected challenges. In addition, addressing the attainment gap arising from Covid-19 disruption (20%) and the mental health of pupils (14%) followed as the next biggest expected challenges; as research revealed 73% of teachers believe pupil attainment levels have fallen because of national lockdowns.

 

The maths attainment gap was of particular concern to teachers with 1 in 4 (25%) reporting they felt it would be the hardest gap of all the core skills to close this Autumn term. Teachers identified maths skills such as fractions, decimals and percentages as causing the most difficulty – with over a third of teachers (34%) saying they think these core skills have been most heavily affected by the Covid disruption to date.

 

But there is a silver-lining to the past 18 months as more of teachers (71%) said their confidence in using edtech had increased. This is a 7% uplift compared to earlier on in the pandemic – when in June 2020, 64% of teachers said their confidence had grown. 

 

With such a variety of online tools available, experts at Renaissance are encouraging schools to take advantage of teachers’ improved edtech confidence and expand their digital offering so they can tackle the attainment gap caused by Covid-19 school closures.

 

Renaissance believes that teachers can use curriculum-aligned Focus Skills, made freely available through dedicated Teacher Workbooks, to plan lessons that support pupils in learning year-appropriate skills. When combined with formative assessment, Focus Skills can save teachers time and support them in creating tailored lesson plans, meaning pupils spend more time learning and are given more specific support for their developmental needs.

 

 

John Moore, Director, Renaissance said “We know teachers continue to face a wide range of challenges presented by Covid-19 in their classrooms. However there’s an opportunity too to take some real positives from the pandemic – building on the way in which so many teachers have embraced technology and worked tirelessly to upskill. Clearly the attainment gap continues to be a concern. At Renaissance we’re committed to supporting education professionals – building on the great strides in the use of technology and providing teachers with the right tools to identify and address areas of need, providing a roadmap for closing the gap. As we move forward through the pandemic, it’s time teachers were able to focus on what they are really there for – to educate pupils, guide their learning development and plan tailored programmes.”

 

Michael Tidd, Headteacher, Schoolworks Academy Trust said: “Addressing the gaps caused by Covid-19 shouldn’t be about cramming in every single thing pupils ‘missed’. Tools like Focus Skills have helped us hone in on the most critical building blocks they need at each stage in their development. Combined with formative assessment, we’re able to paint a picture of each child’s growth rate and any core areas they’ve missed out on so we can then group children and deliver targeted interventions to catch up”.  

PICK EVERARD COMPLETES £2.2M SUSTAINABLE EXPANSION PROJECT AT ESSEX SCHOOL

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AN ESSEX secondary school has become the first in the county to benefit from a net-zero carbon, modular building, creating hundreds of additional places for youngsters in the area.

The £2.2m project at Sweyne Park School in Rayleigh has been led by independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard. Work involved the creation of an energy efficient building to house six new classrooms, a new staff room, office and storage space.

The new building has been designed specifically to support the teaching of children who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, using enhanced lighting and acoustic standards.

Energy saving measures include photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof, used to generate the electricity of the building, as well as LED lighting, trace heating on hot water supply pipework and a high-efficiency, fresh air heating system combined with air source heat pumps. This type of heat pump has been proven to be three times more efficient than a gas boiler.

Pick Everard was appointed by Essex County Council (ECC) in January this year to deliver project management and quantity surveying for the development. It produced multi-disciplinary designs for the council prior to planning, later fostering a collaboration with project partners Morgan Sindall to see the development through from April until completion.

Sweyne Park is one of three secondary schools in Essex that Pick Everard is working on for the council’s modular innovation project, with completion also due at Clacton County High School in Clacton-on-Sea, and Colne Community College in Brightlingsea in the near future.

Keith Prendergast, national director at Pick Everard, said: “We are really pleased to have completed this project with Essex County Council to improve the school facilities and increase the number of pupil places in the county. This marks the first of three projects to be delivered by Pick Everard for the council, continuing a longstanding relationship.

“We have worked closely with the client and a modular supplier to ensure the brief was achieved, to provide the high-quality education facilities the next generation of students deserve.”

Modular buildings are constructed off-site using the same materials and designed to the same codes and standards as conventional buildings – but in about half the time and with minimal disruption to the school. The build process is more environmentally-friendly as it reduces embodied carbon emissions. Build waste is also reduced by around 75 per cent.

The units also do not rely on refined fossil fuels like gas, and therefore avoid around 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere annually.

Pick Everard quantity surveying associate, Tom Wint, said: “Modular builds are still a relatively new concept for schools but offer a greater level of flexibility and innovation. When compared to traditional on-site methods, Essex County Council has reduced the overall project time by six months by opting for modular builds, providing an efficient solution and allowing Sweyne Park School to open its new building at the start of the new academic year in September.”

Property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Perfect Circle – a company jointly owned by Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM – was appointed by Essex County Council to deliver project management and quantity surveying services, which have been procured via SCAPE Consultancy, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time, and cost savings.

Cllr Tony Ball, cabinet member for education, skills and training at Essex County Council, said: “The modular innovation project is successfully delivering essential new teaching space for schools to meet the needs of the local community. At the same time, we are delivering our ambitions to tackle climate change and working towards making Essex carbon neutral, as announced in the recent Essex Climate Action Commission report.

“We know that buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions. This project plays a part in reducing those carbon emissions, while providing a high-quality, bright, fresh, and comfortable learning environment for children.

“Building this way also leaves schools with more money to spend on educating children rather than paying bills and maintenance.”

Pick Everard employs more than 600 staff across its 13 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.