We are on the cusp of major changes in the funding and provision of post-16 education and training. A key part of this is the setting up of the new Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA), which I will have the privilege to chair from its inception this April.
The YPLA will champion young people by providing financial support to young learners, by funding academies for all their provision and by supporting local authorities’ commissioning of suitable education and training opportunities for all 16-19 year olds.
Can you imagine teaching not only without training but without primary school education? This is exactly the situation most teachers face in the scenic region of Ikotos, South Sudan due to the civil conflict that has been raging for the past two decades.
Turbulent Past
The Sudanese conflict between the Christian South and the Muslim Arab-dominated North was the world’s longest running civil war. 2 million civilians were killed in Southern Sudan, and more than 4 million southerners were forced to flee their homes. The civilian death toll is amongst the highest of any war since World War II.
City of Sunderland College staff have received the prestigious Queens Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
The college’s pioneering ‘Test the City’ initiative has already improved the Maths and English Skills of over 7,000 people on Wearside since the project began in 2004.
As more and more local authorities encourage schools to make cost savings by buying competitively, education supplier, The Consortium has responded with three, new, refreshed 2010 catalogues for primary, secondary and office, to provide busy schools with greater choice and access to competitively priced high quality education essentials and resources. The new primary and secondary catalogues focus on key curriculum areas as well as having new dedicated sections for special needs and extended services, including breakfast and end of day clubs, as well as fundraising ideas. There is also a new budget furniture range.
Lighting at the new facilities within Cambridge Regional College, Science Park Campus, is being controlled with the help of ceiling mounted PIR presence detectors and MWS3 microwave detectors from CP Electronics. As part of a strategy to reduce energy consumption, the detectors have been installed in corridors, toilets and foyers as well as providing daylight dimming options in classrooms.
Initsys Merlin ARC software is helping the University of Portsmouth to provide a safer and more secure learning environment for students. This innovative alarm receiving room software solution, developed by Initsys, Europe’s leading provider of Verified Alarm technology, has enabled the university to integrate new and existing intruder and fire alarms with CCTV cameras and DVRs installed at two campuses across the city. It enables the delivery of a faster, more efficient response to all alarm activations whilst helping to achieve significant cost savings.
What was once a separate discipline held in a dedicated computer room and accounting for a small fraction of the timetable is now being taken seriously as an application in every subject area. Becci Knowles investigates the impact of ICT throughout the curriculum...
In the 21st century, no child will leave school without knowing how to compose an email, offer a PowerPoint presentation or conduct interactive research on the World Wide Web. Today’s classrooms have evolved into modern office environments, with education rejecting the historical polarisation of academia and business in favour of a more interdependent relationship.
The Education Show celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and has undergone an exciting redesign in order to offer a streamlined experience to its visitors. From educationalists wishing to explore new resources and best practice methods, to local authority staff and school governors wishing to discover cost effective and innovative procurement options for the whole school community – there is something for everyone at the Birmingham NEC this month.
Show redesign
This year, the exhibition has been divided into two main zones, ‘For Your School’ and ‘For Your Classroom’, adapted to meet the specific needs of visitors and decision makers. Whatever your position within the school community, the Education Show has something to offer to enrich your role.
3M, the diversified technology company, will be demonstrating its latest range of structured cabling solutions at this year’s Networkshop. Drawing on its extensive R&D track-record, 3M is already one of Europe’s leading providers of structured cabling and is now focused on delivering voice and data communications solutions to the UK education sector.
Under the brand name of Volition, 3M has an established and comprehensive range of copper and fibre optic structured cable systems and accessories, across all main internationally recognised standards.
If you wish to avoid disappointment and problems further down the line, it is vital that planning for summer building and maintenance work starts now, advises James Lightly of interior surfaces specialists Altro.
As it’s only just March, the summer break may seem a long time off and it probably seems a little strange to be planning already for the shutdown period. But it can be surprising how quickly the term can fly by, and it makes sense to be prepared well in advance of the final rush towards the end of the academic year. Fine words, and I’m sure most of you agree in principle, but why is it important to be planning so early?
Thousands of youngsters in cities and schools across the UK are being treated to a very different PE lesson as they get the chance to experience Aquajuice 67 Surf Anywhere Campaign – where they can try out surf sports and all possible without the need for a beach or waves.
A Summer city ‘Surf Anywhere’ Tour visited 20 city centres all over the country last year, featuring a specially constructed ‘Street Surfing’ arena in city centre venues offering thousands of kids a ‘Summer surf school’.
