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.

Despite a sharp increase in the numbers of people entering the profession, teaching is still under-rated by the general public and final year students. New research by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) released today shows that both groups under-estimate the salaries that teachers actually earn and the opportunities they have for career progression. The research is being published to launch a major recruitment drive in the run-up to three national Train to Teach recruitment events across the country.

The earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday 12th January is one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of our time.  The death toll is estimated to be over 200,000 and the destruction of capital city Port Au Prince and the surrounding slums of Cite Soleil is near total. 

Launch of new online resource reveals today’s top literacy issues are the impact of technology and family reading

 The new National Literacy Trust website (officially launched on Monday 1st March) is a free resource providing literacy news and debate, opportunities for engagement with our campaigns for reading and better literacy, extensive research and policy information, a Wiki of good literacy practice, and a wealth of resources for professionals.

Celeb and students give Asda a 'bad report' for failing to sellFairtrade school uniforms.

Stacey Dooley, the campaigning star of BBC3s 'Blood, Sweat & T-shirts', supported students from schools across London, in giving a giant mock up 'bad school report', to Asda today, showing its failure to sell any Fairtrade cotton uniforms. The students demanded that Asda start to sell the ethical schoolwear as part of charity People & Planet's new 'Wear Fair' campaign which aims to get all UK schools to adopt Fairtrade cotton uniforms by 2015.

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. 

The Chief Executive at a top Bedfordshire college has welcomed plans that could see it take over the operation of more underperforming schools.

Barnfield College, Luton, is the first Further Education College in the country and one of only six providers to receive Accredited School Group (ASG) status – a new scheme to ensure the best education leaders are able to form federations, in order to drive up standards at primary and secondary levels throughout the country.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that “education will be one of the biggest global growth industries for Britain in the 21st century”. Whether or not the term ‘industry’ is the appropriate way to describe the role of enlightening and inspiring our children with knowledge, we can safely assume that education will be an area that will feature heavily in each party’s campaigning before the imminent general election. A key channel that can be utilised in order to achieve the necessary improvement in the quality of education is broadband provision for all schools and all families, irrespective of income. Whether enabling parents to keep abreast of their child’s progress through online reporting or giving children a platform both at school and home to research, develop and cross-reference their work through high speed internet connections, the ways in which broadband access can facilitate and improve a child’s education are manifold.

£167m of additional funding for out-of-hours school activities is being rolled out nationally from April this year.  The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is helping schools improve access to activities for economically disadvantaged children.

The subsidy is designed to improve equal opportunities in schools.  All pupils will now have the chance to take advantage of the extended services provided by their school, such as after-school clubs and holiday activities.  Economically disadvantaged children and young people and children in care, might not otherwise be able to afford some or all of the charges associated with taking part.

For many young people, scientists are perceived as rather dull characters, locked away in dusty laboratories, carrying out experiments. If they knew however, that at the cutting edge of technology STEM careers are both exciting and well paid, they might see it rather differently. With a worrying shortage of skilled professionals to ensure future scientific gains, it makes sense to improve STEM education in every school before it’s too late.

Fellowes, the leading provider of workspace solutions, has introduced its latest innovation – the R-Kive® Premium box with Presto™ technology, the fastest assembly system in the world.

The R-Kive Premium Presto box is 16 times faster to assemble than a manual storage box, simply push the corners together and it is ready to use. This box can save up to 630 minutes a year if you have to assemble on average 10 boxes a day making it a perfect storage solution for all your administration and archiving needs.

Effective control of solar gain and glare is vital in order to give children a good physical and social environment.  Daybreak Nursery in Rickmansworth contracted  specialists Broadview, a leading manufacturer and supplier of awnings and blinds in the UK, to supply and install an external fabric awning to ensure children enjoy the outdoor space.

In order to provide sufficient shade for the nursery children for reading and activities, Broadview designed and installed one 5.5m by 4m folding arm Broadview 35 electric awning system and this has been positioned over a play area to create a long-term shading solution.

What are the main considerations I should look for in a storage solution?

As an educational establishment, there are three main criteria you should consider – durability, safety and functionality.  So firstly check it’s a robust design.  Galvanised steel construction, reinforced doors, the weight limit for shelves and drawers, as well as the length of warranty, are all good indications of a quality product.  Bevelled edges ensure smooth finishes for safety.  Some manufacturers offer a consultation and design service to help organisations get the optimum storage configuration for the available space. 

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. 

Compact and functional, the Pacific 50 single bowl from Carron Phoenix is a nifty little sink for when space is at a premium but the practicality of a sink is called for. It’s ideal for a range of applications, from preparation and servery worksurfaces in cafes and bars, to dentists and doctors surgeries. It’s also perfect for the caravan market slotting neatly into a 500mm cabinet.

Duplo UK have announced a nationwide search for their largest Digital Duplicator user. Duplo are asking all Duprinter users to visit the Duplo UK website homepage where there is a link to a quick 60 second survey, with the user with the highest print volume on one single machine winning a case of champagne.

Florprotec V is the new solution to the old problem of how school floors can be temporarily protected from damage.  

This high performance and reusable floor covering is specifically designed to protect all types of floor.  A typical example is when a school sports hall is used for another purpose, such as for examinations or for school functions and performances.

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.

Showerwall, the 100% waterproof wallpanelling range available from IDS, has been updated with 7 new laminate finishes for 2010, bringing the choice to a total of 24 designs. Responding to the continued market trend for stones and granites, the Showerwall range has been augmented with a raft of contemporary neutral tones which are extremely design versatile for domestic, contract, specification and social housing projects.

As part of the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Jump Rope For Heart (JRFH) scheme teachers throughout the UK are being encouraged to attend a free workshop demonstrating practical and inspiring ways to introduce skipping into schools in an attempt to keep children heart healthy.

These two hour long workshops will be run by a skipping instructor and will show how teachers can easily incorporate skipping into their National Curriculum. The workshop comprise of a practical skipping skills session including single rope work, challenges and Double Dutch, and mini sessions on other BHF school projects including Ultimate Dodgeball and Artie’s Olympics.

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.

Up until now, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) has not been viable for use with site visitor management and access control due to its high cost and technical complexity. However, with the introduction of ClearView’s new ANPR Visitor Management System, vehicle registration data can be used as a basis for visitor management. It provides a host of services including email or SMS notification of visitor arrival; recording of all vehicle site activity; control of barriers and welcome signage; live and historical car park data usage; and security prompts for black-listed vehicles. It also offers an optional capability to print visitor identification cards.

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.

There continues to be an ongoing struggle to fight the increase in child obesity and other emerging illnesses in young people related to poor health and inactivity. As one of the UK’s leading providers of school ground developments, Sovereign Design Play Systems is working hard to influence more schools to evaluate their outdoor facilities and their provision of an imaginative and physical play environment.

At The Education Show 2010, Texthelp Systems (stand F68) will be showcasing Schools Access Software Suite; a specially developed assistive technology package designed to provide continuity of support and access for learning for students. Already supporting over 270,000 students with special educational needs (SEN) through the Government‚s Home Access scheme, Texthelp is now extending this provision to schools and local authorities to help all students become motivated, independent learners. The bundle includes Texthelp‚s award-winning Read&Write GOLD for Schools software, MindView mind-mapping and iZoom screen magnification tools.

The Strive seating collection from KI is a family of simple, elegant, comfortable chair designs. KI and Giancarlo Piretti, the world famous Italian furniture designer, have applied a consistent design language throughout the collection of stacking chairs, café stools, nesting chairs, task chairs, task stools and fixed seating available in a choice of 19 polypropylene colours.  All have a unique, flexible back with a wire rod inserted into the polypropylene to encourage movement and relaxation. The back curve provides lateral support and the contoured seat dissipates pressure points. Strive has a ten year warranty, is GREENGUARD certified for LEED accreditation and is ideal for providing solutions for business, education and healthcare sectors.

Sovereign Play Equipment has sailed into 2010 at full speed and completed the first installation of its newest addition to its play equipment range, the Play Galleon.

Not yet advertised in Sovereign’s online or hard-copy catalogue, the Play Galleon has already been a hit. St Dominic Savio School in Reading approached Sovereign to assist them in completing a major outdoor make-over of its grounds during the winter term and were keen to install the equipment.

Enclosure Systems Ltd is a UK based manufacturer, and leading supplier  of the LEBA NoteCart and NoteLocker, offering charging, networking and security solutions to the education market. Our NoteCarts can store and charge 12, 16, or 24 Laptops and our latest models can cater for 24 and 32 Netbooks.

The NoteLocker is a modular system which allows you to create any combination of compartments required. With options for both floor standing and wall mounted, you can charge any electrical equipment securely.

We believe that every child should be given the chance to experience the excitement of learning an instrument during their early years.

The ukulele craze is sweeping across the classrooms of Britain and Zings Education will be showcasing a wide range of ukuleles. There will be brightly coloured entry level Mahalo models right the way through to the more serious high-end Ohana Ukuleles. All of which are available individually or as class packs.

Hillcrest offers 39 and 52 week residential care for looked after children in England and Wales, alongside fully registered DCSF schools. These offer full national curriculum coverage in addition to a wide range of certifications covering entry level qualifications, GCSE’s, ASDAN and Vocational BTECs. Hillcrest also offers specialist education for children with ASC/Asperger’s.

Oaklands College, opening in May 2010, is a unique opportunity for girls aged 14 -19 with EBD and associated difficulties to reshape their future.  This is a particularly exciting addition to the Hillcrest family as it is the first of its kind - a vocational college for girls, offering specialist therapeutic support including equine therapy.

The MySchoolProms.co.uk website has been launched to provide a “One-stop-shop” toward the easier and more efficient arrangement of end of year School Proms.  As well as assisting in the organisation of these events, the platform offers a secure social networking area for the students of each school. 

MySchoolProms.co.uk brings together teachers, students and members of the local business community in a unique and exciting way.  The creation of this virtual aspect to the community offers an improved connection between not only students and their peers but also the world of work. 

Everyone in education is aware that the well-being and social and academic development of every child involves parents, teachers, health workers and arts and sports specialists working together to nurture talent and potential. With this in mind, schools are now opening their doors to outside organisations and specialists - “extending” the school to make the site a hub for learning and enjoyment in the community beyond traditional school hours. 

Developed in conjunction with teachers and leading handwriting experts, the Learn to Write series guides children through the stages of learning handwriting in a structured and consistent way.

The range, approved by the National Handwriting Association supports the development of handwriting from learning patterns, to forming letters and numbers, through to cursive handwriting.

A new one-to-one reading scheme for learners aged from 8 to 80

Yes we can read is a fun new phonics-based programme to develop reading for meaning. Anyone who can read fluently can teach a non or poor reader to read in six months or less.

No training or other qualifications are required.

It’s not always easy to get children exercising but it is crucially important.  With statistics clearly showing that the school kids in England of today are simply not as fit as their counterparts 10 years ago, it is time to improve on both outdoor and indoor activities available to them. Fitness levels are declining faster here than in other countries and this must not be allowed to continue.

Indeed, cardio-respiratory fitness may be more important than the much talked about BMI levels and with this in mind Wicksteed commissioned specific research from the Centre for Sport and Exercise Research at Staffordshire University.

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.  

As a College of Technology, Swanmore required a suitable medium for communicating valuable information centrally as well as to their network of local feeder schools. 

ONELAN was chosen for the ability to setup different zones with different content types, and for stability: ONELAN NTBs are Linux based  and therefore more stable than Windows based systems.

On Safer Internet Day this month, (ISC)2,  a non-profit organisation which runs a program helping volunteers visit schools, clubs and parent evenings, spoke about the real need for  kids to receive guidance on security online  as well as safety. John Colley is managing director of the organisation. He said: “Schools must realise that it is the young people that continue to use the internet in new ways and take risks in a world where their parents and teachers are ill-equipped to guide them.  Children are only just beginning to understand how to protect themselves online and have little understanding of how their actions presents risks  for themselves, friends, family or even the work place. We need to understand that there is no safety without security and ensure our kids are empowered to act responsibly,  he concludes.

Saville Audio Visual has launched an exclusive new range of folding furniture for schools. Saville Academy tables are designed and built for years of trouble-free service, offering a versatile concept for primary and junior schools in a range of hard-wearing laminate surfaces. Robust, easy to fold and easy to move, the tables are available three different shapes with smooth locking castors. The bright, coordinated finishes can be mixed, adding a dynamic extra feature to classrooms and teaching areas.

Blossom Learning has launched Mrs Blossom’s “Online Applied SMART Board Course” to inspire the greater use of interactive whiteboards in classrooms.

The new eight stage course is taught by a state-of-the-art digital animation character Mrs. Blossom, a ‘superteacher’ that every professional educator will immediately relate to. The programme aims to inspire and educate teachers using SMART Board technology, leading to more creativity in the classroom and maximise returns on hardware investments.

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?

All children love the elements, whether it is digging or planting in the earth, running in the sun, splashing in the rain or watching how things move with the strength of the wind. With this love of natures elements in mind, Playgarden www.playgardens.co.uk have launched a range of outdoor play resources called Elements for Play, that schools, nurseries and pre-schools can incorporate into their outdoor learning and play.

Since children often have scant regard for the difference between exterior and interior environments, special precautions need to be taken at entrances through which 80% of dirt and water is traipsed in. High performance entrance mattings are vital for reducing maintenance costs and they should do all the dirty work without children noticing.

Pressalit Care has been a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of accessible kitchen and bathroom solutions for over 30 years.

Adjusted to the convenient height by switch or hand control, the lifters are made to size for each installation. The worktops can be moved vertically by up to 280mm, and wall cupboards can be moved both vertically (by up to 430mm) and forwards (by up to180mm), giving flexibility for both seated and standing users.

Supacord designed by Heckmondwike, has always been the tough, durable yet highly cost competitive choice for projects. However, architects are recognising the design opportunities of cutting the 40 colours, including bright reds, blues, and greens, to cost effectively create the ‘wow’ factor. To aid architects and specifiers, Supacord have launched their new website with a specific online design tool to inspire and assist in colour selection.

The new Harrier 56 Pro joins the 48 Pro to provide the professional gardener and landscaper with a choice of robust and flexible work tools for a first class finish to all areas. 

The Harrier 56 Pro, featuring a 56cm (22”) cutting width, is powered by the new Briggs and Stratton ‘Series 875’ OHV engine giving superb reliability and fuel efficiency as well as being cleaner for the environment. 

Portakabin, the UK’s leading education modular building specialist, has launched a new decant school solution to provide interim teaching accommodation to support the Building Schools for the Future initiative and the Primary Capital Programme.

Developed in consultation with leading design architects P+HS, this latest suite of building options from Portakabin allows schools and colleges to benefit from more inspiring interim education facilities and maintain the highest standards of teaching

Ottery St. Mary Primary School in Devon has modified its premises to improve wheelchair access by installing two movemanSKG platform lifts.

Head Teacher Doug Rylance explains; “Although there are no wheelchair users enrolled at Ottery St Mary Primary School at the moment, this could change at any time. MovemanSKG’s lifts mean children with mobility problems will be able to move freely and independently around the building.”

Amwell Systems has washrooms to suit the entire education sector, from pre-school right through to University. Amwell’s products for pre-school and primary are fun and vibrant creating washrooms that kids will be more inclined to look after, while for secondary and higher education the washrooms are stylish but tough enough to look after themselves!

Amwell has been supplying the education sector with washrooms for 30 years with a range of bright, fun, tough and durable washroom products to meet the specific needs of all educational premises.

Sevenoaks School in Kent is a coeducational day and boarding school that was founded in 1432 and has an outstanding reputation. 

Having used Bushboard Washrooms on a previous refurbishment, Alan Pople, Estates Manager for Sevenoaks decided to specify the leading washroom supplier again, this time choosing the popular Quadro cubicle range as well as the Bushboard range of Protec lockers and benches for a refurbishment of the Swanzy Building.

Altro Suprema™ has been installed throughout Broadheath Community Primary School in Coventry, providing an attractive, safe and environmentally-friendly flooring solution for the school.

A host of different colours and patterns were used in classrooms, general circulation areas, staff room and studio space. The vast range of colours in the Altro Suprema range meant the flooring could be perfectly matched to the vibrant feature walls within the school.

Bushboard Washroom Systems’ HiZone cubicle range has recently been specified for a major refurbishment at Feltham Community College.  FCC is a specialist sports college that offers a wide range of courses to around 1200 students aged 11-18.

The school’s “toilet” committee of pupils requested individual cubicles and no urinals for their new washrooms making HiZone the perfect choice because it is a floor to ceiling cubicle range offering privacy.

Worn existing synthetic pitches and old neglected sport and play areas are becoming a thing of the past for many educational establishments. The introduction of artificial sports surfaces and synthetic grasses has now been made much easier by being available directly from AstroSport Ltd of Nottingham – www.astrosport.co.uk.

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’.

Aimia Foods has unveiled its latest addition to the popular Spring Cool school compliant drinks range – Spring Cool Cola.

Cola is extremely popular with both children and teenagers who love the taste, but it has not been sold in schools since the introduction of the nutritional guidelines. Aimia has developed Spring Cool Cola specifically to fill this gap in school menus. Made with 50 per cent fruit juice, the new Spring Cool Cola contains one of the recommended five a day fruit and vegetables and no caffeine, colours or additives.

Students at Coatbridge High School in North Lanarkshire have been set a healthy eating business challenge as part of the Hungry for Success campaign in Scotland. 240 second year students were requested to create, develop and market a new healthy meal over a six week period. The results of the competition were announced yesterday and saw the winning team, Noodle Doodles, crowned for their Caribbean Twist dish.