Children are being denied school trips for fear teachers will be sued if something goes wrong, new research by The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF) has revealed.

The Countryside Alliance Foundation commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to include questions in its Teacher Voice survey. It found

• Of the 1400 teachers surveyed, 97% of teachers thought it important that pupils learn about the countryside within the National Curriculum.
• 76% felt the main barrier in taking pupils to the countryside to facilitate learning was 'concerns about health and safety'.
• 49% of teachers felt that a main barrier was ‘fear of litigation in the unlikely event of an accident'.

Security has never been more relevant in the UK than it is today, from security at home and at work, to border control and surveillance.

Sadly, in the Education sector, there is a growing concern that schools and colleges are now also becoming subject to violent crime from some students who are smuggling knives and other weapons onto the premises, often concealed in their clothing or bags.

The National Enterprise Academy (NEA) celebrated a landmark achievement yesterday as it launched the first ever educational institution solely dedicated to teaching enterprise and entrepreneurship. Peter Jones led the celebrations during a special ceremony attended by the Rt. Hon. Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills and Tom Alexander, CEO, Orange, the exclusive communications and key corporate partner of the NEA.

Dyslexic students need high levels of emotional support and the positive reactions of parents, peers and teachers, in order to prevent their diagnosis from negatively affecting their academic success and sense of identity and wellbeing.

This is the conclusion of research by Professor Robert Burden of the University of Exeter, which will be presented on Saturday 10 October 2009, at the Annual Conference of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) at Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Championing improvements in behaviour in schools - Ed Balls has set out plans to raise the bar further to ensure all schools have good, not just satisfactory, behaviour.

The majority of schools have good or outstanding behaviour. Today's behaviour challenge is part of the Government's strategy to raise overall standards and improve behaviour in the secondary schools that remain ‘satisfactory'. The strategy, which includes the Government's action in response to Sir Alan Steer's recommendations, outlines what heads, governors and teachers can do to improve behaviour - learning from schools with good behaviour and working with the support of parents and pupils.

The Initial Teacher Education (ITE) grants programme will build learning partnerships between museums, archives and teacher training bodies.

A scheme designed to build learning partnerships between museums, archives and bodies that run undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training courses, is open for grant applications.

Fifteen venues across the country open their doors to 13 & 14 year olds, 15th October until 2nd December 09, for The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills' first interactive Offstage Choices° careers events.

These events offer young people aged 13+ a taste of the job roles available behind the scenes and offstage in technical theatre and live music events.

The Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) today published findings from the Department of Health's School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme for Spring 2009.

The second report for the school year 2008/9 found that the fruit and vegetables supplied to schools met legal standards with regard to pesticide residues levels and that the presence of residues would be unlikely to have any effect on those who ate the food. The report contained the results for apple, banana, carrot, pear and soft citrus fruits.

Mental health charity Rethink has launched a free guide to help all school staff in England support the mental health and wellbeing of pupils.

The ‘Uthink Resource for Schools' includes information on mental health and practical advice on how schools and teachers can help children and young people aged 5 to 18 maintain good mental health and wellbeing.

Brake is calling on nurseries, schools and colleges to run a BrakeBright day on Friday 27th November to support Brake, the national road safety charity, by raising awareness about road safety.

Taking place on the Friday of national Road Safety Week, Brake hopes that its BrakeBright day, which sees participants donate £1 to wear shockingly bright clothes in a dress down day with a difference, will help raise funds for its care work with bereaved families and injured road crash victims nationwide. Brake is an independent national road safety charity. Brake exists to stop the 8 deaths and 79 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes.

Today's desks are not only our workstations, they are often our lunch tables, our footrests, our storage spaces and more. Active hygiene helps keep your desk and office cleaner and healthier. Unclean surfaces in the office can harbour unhealthy bacteria. For example, were you aware of the following facts?

• The average keyboard contains 60 x more bacteria than the office toilet seat*
• In the average office there are 10 million bacteria on the area of the desk where you rest your hand**
• Cold and flu viruses can remain active on a surface for up to 72 hours***

Clear and easy to follow signage is vital in any building but particularly in schools and colleges where there are numerous hazards in every area. The staff and pupils must be aware of any potential dangers as well as their nearest emergency exit. Health and safety signs in all areas must also be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act to include Braille and tactile signs or even talking signage.

Established 20 years ago, Signs Express is the leading signs and graphics manufacturer and supplier with over 80 centres across the UK and Ireland and are innovators in using the latest products to hit the market. Signs Express can provide signage solutions from the smallest label through to complex outdoor building signage or attractive interior displays.

KI is the largest educational furniture manufacturer in the world. With over 60 years experience, KI understand the distinct and evolving needs of the educational environment. They design furniture that facilitates learning and interaction between students and staff.

Playgarden Design and Resources Ltd recently launched its new website www.playgardens.co.uk offering schools, nurseries and pre-schools immediate access to its full product range. The website has been designed to be the company's online product brochure with easy access and interactive product pages. It gives the customer everything they need to know about Playgarden, its products, its services and the ordering process - all at the touch of a button.

Performance, durability and ease of use are crucial considerations when specifying cleaning equipment for educational establishments. With the SEBO DART UHS polisher, the need for wet mopping hard floors is substantially reduced while vacuuming and polishing are combined without the need to seal areas off to students during cleaning.

EcoTherm's newly launched polyisocyanurate (PIR) Underfloor Heating Board has won a place at a new primary school being built on the Bognor Regis Community College campus in West Sussex by main contractor Willmott Dixon. Over 1,000m2 of 40mm EcoTherm UFH Board is providing energy-saving insulation as part of a Warmafloor Tacker underfloor heating system specified for the project. The new 640 pupil primary school is part of a multi-million pound regeneration scheme to modernise educational facilities on the campus with funding from the Government's Building Schools for the Future and Every Child Matters programmes.

New findings show that the Chateau du Molay in Normandy is actively encouraging school children to use outdoor activities including: a professional grade football/rugby pitch, a multi-purpose sports court and an outdoor heated swimming pool!

School groups are also having to endure a healthy 3-course menu in the on-site restaurant, fresh air in the 38 acres of private parkland and playing games outside long into the warm summer evenings!

Junckers specialist sports floors have been specified for no less than seven schools and learning centres for the Knowsley BSF programme. Laid by Junckers Approved Contractor Courtcraft Ltd, the project includes several sports halls, fitness studios and activity studios. Junckers' SylvaSport Premium was chosen from a range of competitive bids. Popular because it is considered ‘builder-friendly' and economical, the floor appeals to specifiers and main contractors alike and has been widely used in BSF projects. It complies with the latest European performance standard (Area Elastic floor type A4 of BS EN 14904:2006) and is suitable over under floor heating.

Thousands more schools can now participate in the potentially life changing adventure that is FILMCLUB. This inspiring after-school club which provides FREE access to thousands of classic and popular films as well as to film industry events, news and talent is running a series of 29 free inductions and training events at venues across the UK throughout October and November.

The inductions are an excellent opportunity for teachers to get involved in an easy to run scheme that costs nothing and can hugely benefit their students. Recent research shows that among other benefits, FILMCLUB improves literacy, increases confidence and - crucially - integrates isolated or disengaged children.

The University of Bedfordshire was established in August 2006 by order of the Privy Council and comprises five campuses, three within Luton, one at Bedford and one based in Aylesbury. There are 20,000 staff and students from over 100 different countries at the University creating a very diverse environment. With planned developments valued at over £134m spread over the next few years the University is an exciting and vibrant place to be now and in the future.

If you are responsible for planning or designing a Building Schools for the Future project then Interbuild BSF is an unmissable event. Interbuild BSF is a new zone within Interbuild Specifier, dedicated to the world's biggest educational building, refurbishment and regeneration programme. The show takes place from 18-21 October at the NEC in Birmingham.

Supported by Birmingham City Council, Catalyst Education and Bovis Lend Lease, Interbuild BSF is the only event to bring together all key stakeholders in the education and construction sectors to showcase and discuss the building and refurbishment of schools.

To find out more about exhibiting at Interbuild BSF, contact Jos Henrit on 020 7728 4624 or email joseph.henrit@emap.com

DORMA ES200 sliding door operators and complementary fixed glass screenwork have been installed at the main entrance of The Perse School in Cambridge, one of the leading educational establishments in the area.

With approximately 750 pupils, the provision of safe and reliable access and egress at this secondary school was vital. The pedigree of the ES200 made it a natural choice for this type of high-traffic environment, and the accompanying fixed glass screenwork has been designed to provide additional safety. The screens effectively provide a recess for the doors when they are activated to open, ensuring that no one is at risk of a fall by leaning against the encroaching end of the doors.

Kader Primary School is located in a residential suburb of Middlesbrough and has more than 380 pupils.

Although there is a large playing field attached to the school, its use for curriculum activities often has to be restricted, thanks to the British weather. When the school decided to extend their building, a key requirement was to provide an inside/outside teaching and play area that would not be restricted by poor weather. Extensive discussions were held with the architect and much research was undertaken by the school before a decision was made to employ "Inside2Outside" to provide a Pocca canopy as part of the works.

The new Felpham Children and Family Centre on the site of the Bishop Tufnell School in Bognor Regis, West Sussex has been completed on time and on budget using Terrapin's offsite building technology. The ‘C' shaped building by architects Felce & Guy posed no problem for Terrapin's versatile panel-based Unitrex system, which combines design flexibility with the quality, value and speed associated with offsite construction. Purpose-designed Unitrex elements for the 180m2 building were factory fabricated by Terrapin whilst groundworks were being completed and then delivered to site in ‘flat pack' panelised units for rapid erection.

The Tarasafe range comprises of eight products, providing high levels of underfoot slip resistance, hygiene, performance and aesthetics, while its Taradouche shower system is a complete and safe solution for the shower room.

Tarasafe's deep inlay of carborundum particles provides permanent slip resistance, making it HSE compliant and ensuring a group T (K5) wear rating with suitability for heavy traffic commercial use. Sanosol® anti-bacterial and fungicidal treatment is incorporated in all products and some have the added benefit of SparClean® surface treatment for extreme resistance to soiling and staining.

Shaws of Darwen ‘British made' white glazed commercial fireclay laboratory sinks are manufactured specifically for schools, hospitals and commercial laboratory sectors of the market. There are four sizes of sinks which are designed to be fixed under a benchtop. Fireclay is a traditional robust material which is acid and alkali resistant and designed to withstand heavy use.

Shaws manufacture a wide range of other commercial products including eight sizes of Belfast sinks, waste disposal sinks, individual drainers, a combination sink with drainer, two styles of practical floor or wall mounted cleaner's sinks with stainless steel bucket gratings and many other items.

High performance plasterboard from Knauf Drywall lines the interior walls of an innovative factory-built toilet block, newly installed at Brittons School and Technology College in the London Borough of Havering.

Offsite construction specialist Terrapin used 12.5mm Knauf Fire Moistureshield to line the 34m2 building, which was built in two modules to facilitate transport by road from the Milton Keynes factory. Knauf Fire Moistureshield is a specially formulated plasterboard for superior fire protection and moisture resistance.

Schools and nursery schools should ensure children and staff cannot be scalded by hot water by fitting fail-safe thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) on hot water outlets, says Honeywell, the leading manufacturer of water valves and heating controls.

The valves control the hot and cold water inlets to provide a constant, safe, preset temperature at the point of delivery. They ensure safety by cutting off the hot water inlet automatically if the cold supply fails.

Colourful rainscreen cladding panels from Steni were specified by MeadowcroftGriffin Architects to meet a host of criteria for an extension to a children's centre in north London.

More than 200m2 of "steni colour" fibreglass reinforced polymer composite panels, that feature a smooth surface of electron beam cured acrylic produced without the use of solvents, were specified in four high-gloss colours for New River Green Children's Centre in Islington.

A new school in Plymouth is using "free" renewable energy for all its heating needs, making it one of the greenest schools in the UK. Brook Green Centre for Learning employs ground source heat pumps and solar panels for all space heating and hot water, while an advanced passive ventilation system cools the building in summer and ensures low CO2 levels throughout the year.

Frontrunner XT matting is solving a stony problem of access into Folkestone's University Centre. The problem was how to provide safe access for students and, in particular, for those with disabilities when entering across the old cobbled courtyard in this former Glassworks.

To solve this problem, Frontrunner XT, from Plastic Extruders, has been laid across the courtyard. The 100% vinyl open grid matting has proved to be very effective at providing easy access and safety underfoot because of its extra deep embossed surface which provides increased slip resistance in wet and potentially slippery conditions.

ARDEX UK, premier manufacturers of high performance flooring products, teamed up with flooring contractor Sandafloor Limited of Gateshead, to provide over 3,500m2 of flooring underlayments for the new £36 million Bede Academy in Northumberland.

To commence, the classrooms and laboratories received ARDEX DPM 1 C One Coat Surface Damp Proof Membrane, which is easy to apply, fast curing and can accommodate Hygrometer readings up to 98% RH.

Lafarge Plasterboard, one of the UK's leading plasterboard and drylining systems manufacturers, is working with Laing O'Rourke on one of the largest schools complexes in Edinburgh, supplying its innovative GTEC Aqua Board.

The Forrester and St Augustine's schools are being redeveloped with a shared sports facility including a large swimming pool. The gypsum based GTEC Aqua Board is being used in the swimming pool complex due to its enhanced water and mould resistant properties.

Southampton City College is currently part way through a full redevelopment of its St Mary's Street campus. As part of a total investment in the project of £43.2 million WindowMaster (www.windowmaster.co.uk) is supplying natural ventilation control systems for various buildings around the campus.

WindowMaster was selected because it was able to provide a model for an innovative and cost effective natural ventilation solution that worked according to the consultants' brief.

The start of a new academic year is an exciting time that usually heralds a raft of product launches and new technologies with the potential to greatly enhance curriculum delivery and student engagement. But in their enthusiasm to embrace the latest technological advances schools can sometimes forget to reflect upon the impact of technologies of new terms past. Even the most analytical of school leaders can be so seduced by the technology that they lose sight of the need to consider its impact on standards and achievement and the total cost of ownership.

Schools and Colleges have the biggest communications problem of any ‘business'. To communicate a large number of messages simultaneously to such a widely diverse audience is a challenge.

Early adoption of digital signage saw institutions utilising consumer based screens displaying Powerpoint presentations but this solution is inherently limited and far from ‘real-time'. Utilising a multi-message zone player typically delivers at least 4 zones to display content simultaneously in the most appropriate format. Photos can be shown as slide shows, timetables as intranet pages and school news as RSS news feeds for instance.

MGL Media is a digital signage package designed to help schools provide information to pupils, staff, parents and visitors in a fast, modern and attractive way. From showcasing a video of the latest school production to letting people know what's going on where or even sharing the lunch menu for the day, MGL's digital signs are an ideal way to raise engagement and enhance your school's communications.

We all agree that we have to take a more responsible attitude to our consumption of energy and our carbon emissions.

The education sector is keen to establish its own green credentials, expect the highest environmental standards from their own suppliers, and being able to demonstrate best practices could mean the difference between these suppliers winning and losing contracts.

According to a study by market research institute Gartner, commercial IT is responsible for 2 per cent of the world's CO2 emissions - around the same volume as global air travel. In Europe, around 25 per cent of electronic waste is currently recycled, which will increase as legal regulations are increasingly implemented. In view of the large quantities of generated waste material, manufacturers have a responsibility to make recycling as easy as possible. NEC Display Solutions has long recognized its corporate responsibilities and is basing its Green Vision campaign on the two pillars of Green Productivity and Green Sustainability.

"The number of SEN pupils being integrated into a mainstream setting has sharply increased as a result of the Government's Inclusion Agenda in 2006. Three years on and the issue of SEN teacher training remains in the spotlight, with many industry experts arguing that mainstream schools are ill equipped to deal with pupils with special education needs.

Given that many pupils with special educational needs are now absorbed into mainstream education it is obvious more needs to be done to equip teachers with the skills needed to manage young people with special educational needs.

Unfortunately, in a recession, one of the first areas of investment to be dropped is that of ongoing training and development. In every walk of life, not just teaching, continuing professional development or CPD is known to significantly contribute to performance. But it can be compared to healthy eating - we know it does us good - however, we also know that we can still function without it.

And, just like healthy eating, for CPD to have any real effect, it needs to be part of a sustained plan, tailored to the individual. This takes time and investment and a willingness on the part of all those involved to see the training through.

It can be difficult for employees to separate their work and personal lives, each being heavily influenced by the other, however by acquiring new skills and applying them to both areas of their lives, workers master how to maintain a healthy balance between the two.

Qualifications are available which build up skills both professionally and personally - such as NCFE's own range of qualifications in preparing for work and life. Qualifications and courses should be designed to meet the needs of learners and organisations equally, and recognise that personal learning styles are unique, so they should be fully flexible.

The CPD Mark - a new quality mark designed to improve Continuing Professional Development standards - was launched in September 2008. There are now more than 750 schools engaged in the process.

Shire Oak School in Walsall is the first school (outside pilot phase) to be awarded this Mark which means that it has exceeded CPD standards set by both government and by Ofsted.

Twelve months of recession and redundancies have contributed to a shift in peoples' attitudes to what they want from their professional lives, says a Future Foundation report for the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) out today.

In an effort to understand the 50 per cent increase in enquiries to teacher training over the past year, Added values: why professionals could be turning to teaching asked people from the banking, management, architecture and legal sectors whether their career priorities have changed since the recession began a year ago.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, with its well-earned reputation for the quality of its award-winning educational courses and facilities for children, has now also introduced special continuous professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and teaching assistants, encouraging them to take their pupils beyond the confines of the traditional classroom.

The new courses, created to make the most of the Gardens' unique Growing Schools Garden, will build the confidence of education staff to teach outside the classroom in their own schools, using many subjects on the National Curriculum and at all Key Stages.

Last year the Government announced that more than 1,500 primary schools in England will be rebuilt or refurbished in the next two years under approved building plans worth approximately £3.55billion.

This means that more than 350 primary schools will be newly built, major refurbishments like new or improved toilet blocks will be constructed at a further 850 schools and smaller building works will take place at another 350 schools.

Geberit wall-hung sanitary systems are the perfect choice for toilets and washrooms in schools and other educational establishments. The long term benefits and cost savings in respect of water conservation, maintenance time and the longevity of cistern parts, quickly outweigh those of traditional floor-standing sanitaryware.

The Geberit Duofix system comprises a sturdy metal frame, which supports the ceramics and includes all pipework and a sound insulated cistern, hidden behind a stud or panelled wall. This makes the floor easy to clean, being free of awkward spaces which gather dust and harbour germs.

Vibrant shades from the highly decorative Polysafe Strata collection of sheet vinyl safety floors - from commercial flooring specialist Polyflor Ltd - have been used to reproduce a striking school crest, inset into flooring of the same material, in the main entrance hall at Clwyd Community Primary School, Swansea.

The inlay was created via the Polyflor Expressions Design Service which uses computerised water jet cutting technology to produce with pinpoint accuracy the precise shapes and styles required for complex inlaid decoration.

Monday 31st August 2009 marked 15 years since Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface Inc., the global modular flooring specialist, set his company on the path to becoming the world's first sustainable business by 2020. Now defined as Mission Zero, the company's drive to achieve a zero environmental footprint plays a central role in the organisation's ethos and culture and has set Interface on a course that has characterised its development ever since.

Neaco's design flexibility and the hard-wearing and aesthetic qualities of their products were all put to good use for an extensive specification at Whitburn Church of England School in South Tyneside.

The recently completed new build development includes two external coast-facing terraces which feature Neaco's Techdek aluminium decking with a bespoke balustrade design adapted from their Spectrum range. The stainless steel and nylon coated aluminium versions of Spectrum are also featured on interior stairwells and an atrium.

Newly opened Crocketts Community Primary School in Smethwick, West Midlands, welcomed pupils at the start of the school year with an array of stunning Altro Whiterock Digiclad^TM corridor artwork panels.

The new school was formed as part of a local schools reorganisation programme which saw Crocketts Lane Infant School combine with a local junior school to form a new centre for primary education. Direct funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families meant that a new building was constructed to meet the needs of pupils and teachers in the 21st century.

James Lightly at interior surfaces specialist, Altro, discusses the importance of establishing a cleaning and maintenance programme in educational buildings:

With the new term now underway, thousands of students around the country have been piling into schools, colleges and universities with their freshly painted walls and newly installed safety flooring.

Muraspec has introduced ideapaint to the UK after the runaway success following its launch at Neocon 2008. The award winning innovation can transform any smooth surface into a high performance dry-erase surface. Its innovative formulation allows previously redundant areas to be transformed into dynamic, workable spaces ideal for any education environment.

ideapaint is quick and easy to use, only needing a single roller applied coat to achieve a smooth, high performance writing surface. ideapaint is resistant to staining even if writing is left on the surface for long periods of time and it can be applied to most surfaces including drywall, plaster, wood and laminates.

As one of the UK's leading provider of Lifting Platforms. Level Access Lifts offer an unparalleled choice of high quality Public access equipment.

The owners and many of the staff here at Level have been involved in the platform lift industry since its infancy over 20 years ago.

We are only too aware that every project presents a different set of criteria, whether it is a specific design requirement, budget or delivery. Our mission is to provide the solution.

If you have an interest in, or a project requirement for, underfloor distribution systems feeding desk and workstation furniture, then the new Underfloor to Desk Solutions brochure from leading cable management manufacturer Marshall-Tufflex is essential reading.

With Underfloor to Desk Solutions, Marshall-Tufflex has not just produced a catalogue of products but compiled a product selection guide clarifying the various installation possibilities, with information on layout configurations, annotated images, diagrams, technical specification, guides and photographs showing various systems and options for underfloor power and data distribution to desk service outlets.

An extensive range of Oventrop valves will assist the new £30 million Nailsea School, with its plan to be carbon efficient using among other devices, solar panels and rainwater harvesters. The development of the services for the school has been influenced by a Sustainable Building Services Strategy and it is aiming to achieve a BREEAM assessment of ‘Very Good'.

Motherwell College in Lanarkshire has relocated to a new £70M facility on the old Ravenscraig site.

The brand new college comprises classrooms, workshops, theatres and catering facilities covering 200,000 square feet.

ISS have held the full facilities contract at Motherwell College since 1996. The range of services extends from cleaning, janitorial, caretaking, 24 hr security and driving duties.

Secondary glazing is the most effective and simplest solution to unwanted noise but it will also markedly improve a building's energy efficiency and can increase window security. It is often the only practical solution for traditional or listed buildings with preserved facades.

Secondary glazing is fitted on the room side of existing windows and when fitted with an air gap of at least 100mm it will dramatically improve sound insulation. In schools and colleges it has particular value in exam rooms, music rooms and libraries.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that the average school child misses around one week of school a year due to illness, which equates to approximately 36 million school days lost every year in the UK¹.

It is estimated that a great number of these days could be reduced if children washed their hands regularly. Indeed, recent studies have shown that hand washing with soap is by far the best way to prevent the spread of many illnesses and good hand hygiene practices adopted by children would help to prevent the spread of germs from home to school and back again.

The health protection of teachers and education workers and those who come into contact with them is vital, particularly during a time of pandemic infection. Byotrol keeps working once it has been applied, so that surfaces and human skin remain germ free for longer.

Sold through Arco, the UK's leading distributor of safety and workwear products, Byotrol products are already in use on the custody desks of one of the UKs biggest Police Forces and teachers and students could all benefit from the enhanced protection that Byotrol products offer.

With young children vulnerable to swine flu and another outbreak expected this winter, the new Pinkiwash® portable warm water hand wash unit from TEAL is perfect for helping to keep youngsters in the pink!

Safe and easy to use, this eye-catching floor standing unit requires no fixed plumbing to operate so it can be located in classrooms, dining halls or corridors - meaning children don't always have to go to the toilets to wash their hands.

Washing hands can be fun and more importantly can be integrated into school day activities. Through the use of colourful child friendly soap dispensers and a foaming soap, children of all ages can have fun whilst practicing good hand hygiene.

Deb Limited offers dispensers, exclusively designed for schools and nurseries, that are colourful and eye-catching, created to attract children's attention and encourage regular use. Deb also offers a bespoke service where dispensers can be tailored to meet your specific requirements; providing choice of colour, logo and message.

A round-up of recent projects showing how consultants from the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) are helping education caterers.

To find out more about the consultants mentioned below, visit www.fcsi.org.uk and click on ‘Find a Consultant'.

Free tool launched to help school meals compete with the high street School Food Trust unveils MADGe at first National Marketing Event.

48 per cent of school caterers have had their marketing budgets cut due to the current economic climate, the School Food Trust reveals today. The findings are the result of a vote of 300 Local Authorities, private and school caterers, school business managers and Head teachers taken at the recent School Food Trust's first National Marketing Event.

3G Food Service and Seafood Solutions is keen to dispel the myths surrounding fish and seafood, to encourage more caterers to establish a fish-based offering and take advantage of its growing popularity.

Currently, according to recent industry intelligence, fish and seafood is the most popular source of protein on menus ahead of chicken. However, some caterers may be avoiding adding fish and seafood dishes to their menus because they either have limited knowledge on preparation techniques, or are reluctant to handle it.

As schools remain under pressure to provide nutritional meals which appeal to children directly, yet are sensitive to pricing, unique products like Milk Break provide welcome solutions.

Milk Break is the first school compliant milkshake mix made with water rather than milk and joins the already highly successful Juice Break product, which has proven a major success in primary school catering.

Lincat has redesigned its two Opus 700 gas oven ranges, the four burner OG7001 and six burner OG7002. The new models feature more powerful hob burners, stronger construction and easier to clean stainless steel radiused hob fronts.

The new hob burners deliver a higher power rating of 6.1 kW for natural gas and 5.7 kW for propane. They also feature powerful 6.8kW and 9kW ovens, which deliver precise thermostatic control from 120oC to 280oC.

FCSI catering consultants provide practical, professional solutions that ensure education caterers really do get best value for money.

The Foodservice Consultants Society International (UK & Ireland) is the association which represents more than 60 of the most highly respected professional catering consultants in the UK.

Of all catering equipment distributors, only CEDA members offer a Code of Good Practice and adhere to a Customer Charter that protects the caterer's interest, so that they can "Buy with Confidence".

Most of the catering equipment sold in the UK catering market is via CEDA members.

Rational's SelfCooking Center, the next generation combi, can replace a deep fat fryer in the kitchen, producing healthier foods that are lower in fat, such as French fries with one-third fewer calories and up to 80% less fat than when they are deep fried.

This method of preparation offers some big cost savings. There is no need to buy, store and dispose of frying oil and the SelfCooking Center can prepare 200 portions of chips is 15 minutes if there's a real rush! What's more the SelfCooking Center isn't just for cooking fried foods. It can roast, poach, toast and bake and incorporates sophisticated insulating materials that keep heat losses to an absolute minimum.

If they could have anything they wanted, anything at all, what features would caterers build into their 'dream machine' warewasher? That's what Winterhalter set out to discover before developing its new undercounter dish and glasswashers. The company commissioned a website, www.my-dream-machine.biz, where caterers from around the world were encouraged to build their perfect dream machine.

To maintain a beneficial intake of calcium, protein and riboflavin, the School Food Trust recommends that a dairy food is available daily on lunchtime menus and where possible, these should be lower fat varieties. As the dairy experts, Pritchitts has developed a range of nutritious flavoured milk drinks, with no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives, that appeal to children of all ages.

Security in schools has never been of more paramount importance. In previous economic downturns, figures have shown that crime figures shoot up. Schools, which are bristling with valuable ICT equipment, are a perfect target.

Bad behaviour among students also increases in a recession. In the last couple of months, Schools Minister Jim Knight told teachers to expect the credit crunch to affect children's behaviour, as they cope with the financial worries back at home. Schools may find they suffer with more antisocial behaviour than normal, such as graffiti or bullying.

Education establishments have the continuing, challenging task of improving systems in order to meet the fundamental objective of providing appropriate duty of care to students and parents. Keeping students safe and secure, and providing assurances of this to parents, is vital. Adopting an e-Registration solution designed to accurately monitor and track student attendance and whereabouts, whilst enabling the fast and accurate retrieval and analysis of data, not only provides these assurances, but also helps to inform policy formulation and planning at a local and national level.