If we are to believe statistics, the future health of our children is not looking promising unless we address the problem of diet and fitness now! According to official figures since the 1980s the number of children and teenagers who are overweight has increased dramatically. These increases are thought to be due to a variety of cultural factors, including easier access to high-calorie foods, decreased exercise and increased interest in sedentary activities. But education can play a major role in teaching children about diet, healthy living and exercise from an early age so we should lead by example.

ADT Fire & Security is upgrading the fire detection and alarm systems at Oundle School from analogue to digital addressable technology. ADT installed the Minerva system into Oundle School in the early 1990s. With such a large site, the move to a digital addressable system will help ensure the school is protected by highly advanced and reliable technology, supporting a higher number of devices on one loop which gives increased flexibility for more complex sites.

Figures obtained by Campaign for Better Transport show council spending cuts have led to almost three quarters (72 per cent) of local education authorities making cuts to school transport. The figures, which were collected through freedom of information requests to 81 local education authorities outside of London and the six big metropolitan areas in England, reveal that 38 per cent of councils are reviewing or cutting transport to faith schools; 46 per cent are reviewing or cutting transport to schools other than faith schools; and 51 per cent are reviewing or cutting post-16 transport.

Mul-T-Lock UK’s Smartair units have been fitted to external doors at The Green School by local locksmith PW Secure-It to upgrade the security from a mechanical locking system to an access control solution. The school contacted PW Secure-It to install a wire-free, easy to use access control system that could manage ‘key’ control and withstand the high volume of traffic passing daily through the school.

Lockers can form an integral part of an architectural design brief, as Link Lockers’ latest school installation has shown. As part of a £6 million refurbishment at St Catherine’s School, Twickenham which involved the construction of a new sixth form block and teaching rooms, Link Lockers worked alongside the school’s architects to position the lockers along the corridors and public walkways so as to make a striking design feature out of them.

With the arrival of new and returning children to school this September, parents need reassurance that their children are going to be learning in a clean and safe environment. Right from the initial process of selecting schools for their children, hygiene and sanitation play a significant role, as parents will naturally want to know their children are studying in the most conducive environment.

SCA has introduced a new antimicrobial foam hand cleaner and two eco-labelled foam soaps. Containing 40% ethanol which destroys bacteria, viruses and fungi, Tork Antimicrobial Foam Cleanser is kind to the hands and incorporates lower concentrations of alcohol than other sanitisers on the market.

Ardmore Construction approved a Monodraught roof-mounted strategy using energy-free Windcatcher Sola-boost systems for JCoSS school in Barnet. These systems are used mainly in the building’s two-storey teaching wings where a system of double stacking enables each unit to serve first and ground floor classrooms located one above the other.

Fellowes has launched a pan-European marketing initiative designed to drive understanding and awareness of the benefits of ergonomic products in the workplace. Sit Up To A Smarter Way of Working aims to educate both computer users and business managers on the risks of poor posture and the associated costs which could be avoided by applying simple ergonomic principles and cost-effective solutions in the workplace.

The Trade Union Congress has found that there are currently 3.7 million people in the UK who work from home. Research carried out by Fellowes revealed that around 42% of home workers sit on the sofa and 22% work in bed.

Research released by Lloyds TSB, partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, reveals that 25% British parents and guardians are worried that their child isn’t active enough. The survey also found that 81% of parents think that sport can play an important role in their child’s development, while 92% fully support their child taking part.

Leading school tour operator for rugby, netball, hockey, football, cricket and tennis trips, Gullivers Sports Travel,  has shown itself to be at the top of the class for educational visits by being awarded a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge this month – for the second year in a row. Awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the national voice for learning outside the classroom, the LOtC Quality Badge combines learning and safety into one easily recognisable badge for all organisations providing learning outside the classroom experiences.

PegaSys, the latest in wireless intelligent access control from Ingersoll Rand Security technologies, provides an instant and cost effective way to upgrade traditional mechanical doors into a fully electronically-controlled access system. This is designed to provide a simple solution to common access control and key management problems, such as replacing cylinders when keys are lost, unauthorised key duplication and the ability to audit user access.

Based in Watford, Hertfordshire, The Security Training School is one of the area’s real success stories. Having opened its doors in 2009 to train staff for crowd management within the events industry, it has gone from strength to strength. It now has around 80 students passing thought its doors each month and claims 100% pass rate.

Whilst the very nature of accidents and breakdowns are unpredictable, there are some things that can and must be planned for by anyone looking to maintain trouble free operation of fitness equipment.  Apart from the inconvenience of failed equipment, you have a legal duty of care to ensure that all operating equipment is maintained to a safe standard, ensuring maximum care has been taken to avoid any possible accidental injury to users of the equipment.

Creating visual access control within educational buildings can enhance the overall smooth running of the environment and the well being of those within it. One glazing solution that has become integral to this role is the Vistamatic® secure vision panel. The potential of secure vision panels is becoming increasingly recognized and they are now recommended by Secured By Design’s new ‘2010 Schools Document’ as a way of creating private yet secure areas within a school building.

The RFU & YAZOO has just kicked off its national Tag 2 Twickenham competition again with a series of regional festivals taking place all around the country. The winners will go through to the finals at the birthplace of rugby, Rugby School in July.

To assist in protecting people against the threat of bacterial infection, UNION’s Facility Furniture, formerly the Wellington range, has been re-launched as UNION Easy+Clean™ Facility Furniture, combining an easy access design, with new TouchClean® technology.

It is 25 years since Widespread Solutions first started to supply a small range of Spraybooths into Design Technology and Art and Craft departments in schools and colleges up and down the country. Today they are a specialist manufacturer and supplier of over 40 desk and bench top extraction and filtration units which are used to control and remove airborne hazards such as dust, airbrush and aerosol paints, adhesive sprays and solvent and solder fumes.

The often confusing area of safe selection has just been made much clearer with the new range of Euro graded safes from SECURIKEY,  providing protection from £6000 to £1 million pounds and designed to please the eye as well as the insurer ; the fully tested and approved units provide a safe haven for whatever is most important to you.......

This term, NIVEA SUN, the UK’s largest sun care brand*, is celebrating its 19th consecutive year of providing activities and resources for primary school teachers in the UK.

ASSA ABLOY will be showcasing a range of industry-leading technology-based security and access control solutions at IFSEC 2011, as well as launching an exciting new Aperio partnering program.

Visitors to Stand C50 in Hall 4 will be able to discover more about ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio enabling technology and new Aperio partnering program, designed to support business growth for access control specialists.

Initial Washrooms Solutions, the leading UK hygiene and washroom services company, has added the new eco-friendly and cost-effective Machflow hand dryer to its cold air hand-drying range. The Machflow’s powerful 1150W airflow dries hands in under 12 seconds, compared to 30 seconds with traditional warm air dryers, using up to 80% less electricity.

The leading educational and research institution in Cyprus is to be fitted with more than 100 Exit Stoppers from STI (Europe) as part of an ongoing building programme to expand the university campus with the addition of 16 new faculty buildings.

Lockers can form an integral part of an architectural design brief, as Link Lockers’ latest school installation has shown.

As part of a £6 million refurbishment at St Catherine’s School, Twickenham which involved the construction of a new sixth form block and teaching rooms, Link Lockers worked alongside the school’s architects to position the lockers along the corridors and public walkways so as to make a striking design feature out of them.

Joeri Decae, Link Lockers’ Sales Director, confirms that the Fire and Rescue Service’s increased focus on fire prevention over the last 12-18 months has led to more and more primary schools installing lockers.

Since the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order in 2006, which made The Fire and Rescue Service responsible for enforcing Fire Safety legislation, there has been an even greater focus on fire prevention in schools. To facilitate, fire officers have been conducting routine inspections in schools to ensure compliance. Significantly for schools, the Fire and Rescue Service introduced even tougher enforcement targets in 2010.

Children are highly vulnerable to illness and swine flu has been particularly virulent this year. Thorough handwashing and drying after using the washroom can help to curb the spread of infections and viruses.

Thomas’s London Day Schools has contracted the Keyholding Company to provide alarm response services at six sites.

“As the schools are situated in residential locations, it was important to reduce any undue disturbance to our neighbours and make sure activations are attended to as speedily as possible,” comments facilities manager Brian Butler.

The Perko Powermatic®, controlled, concealed door closer is enjoying increased interest from the education sector thanks to its accredited performance and health and safety benefits.

Suitable for use on both fire and non-fire door situations, Perko Powermatic® delivers advantages in two key safety areas; the risk of a fire door being rendered ineffective by a damaged door closer and the potential risk for self harm, both of which can be present in all types of educational establishments.

Priorities in school cleaning have changed in recent years, and the focus has shifted from polished and shiny to infection-free and safe. The emphasis now tends to be on mechanical scrubbing to remove dirt and infection, speed to keep the cost down and maybe a bit of mechanised polishing. Schools have to be a lot more careful than they used to be about getting blamed for accidents, so cleaning teams can’t afford to leave floors wet after cleaning.

Amwell Systems has a washroom cubicle suited to every stage of education, from Nursery right through to University. Amwell’s Primary and Pre-school cubicles are fun and inviting to use whilst their ranges for Secondary School and Higher Education are sleek and stylish but robust enough to endure the tests of a tougher school environment!

Link Lockers, the UK’s largest manufacturer of lockers, locker accessories and cupboards, has come top of the class after a primary school headteacher praised the company when it supplied storage solutions for its pupils.

Cathryn Downing, Headteacher at Stamford Park Junior School, in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, said the installation of 279 multi-colour three-quarter height lockers, which are located off the main corridors, has had a dramatic effect on health and safety. “There are no trip hazards from coats and bags on the floor, and there has already been a reduction in lost property.”

The portable SmartDose system from Diversey is now available with a range of four high-performance TASKI building care concentrated products to support simpler, safer and superior cleaning. The system’s unique and innovative pack design incorporates a patented dual-setting dispenser that doses product accurately and consistently into spray bottles, buckets, sinks or cleaning machines. Three EU Flower sustainability-certified products are available to cover all main daily building care tasks including washroom, floor, and glass and hard surface cleaning. A fourth product is available for disinfecting floors and other surfaces.

With hygiene regulations demanding that surfaces are durable, impervious and impact resistant, specifiers and contractors need look no further than Altro Whiterock PVCu walling system, available exclusively nationwide through IDS. Benefitting from a watertight, seamless surface, Altro Whiterock provides a decorative, practical and hygienic solution for a wide range of applications including healthcare, education, catering, and laboratories as well as retail and office environments.

The comprehensive school - Lord Lawson of Beamish, appointed SportsArt Fitness UK to planning and supply of equipment for a dual-purpose use “Fitness Suite Project” – to be used by staff, students and the wider general public.

If we are to believe statistics, the future health of our children is not looking promising unless we address the problem of diet and fitness now! According to official figures since the 1980s the number of children and teenagers who are overweight has increased dramatically.

SmartDose With Multitask Performance, Simple Use and EU Flower Certification

The portable SmartDose system from Diversey is now available with a range of four high-performance TASKI building care concentrated products to support simpler, safer and superior cleaning. The system’s unique and innovative pack design incorporates a patented dual-setting dispenser that doses product accurately and consistently into spray bottles, buckets, sinks or cleaning machines. Three EU Flower sustainability-certified products are available to cover all main daily building care tasks including washroom, floor, and glass and hard surface cleaning. A fourth product is available for disinfecting floors and other surfaces.

Abloy UK’s Smartair system has been fitted at Weaverham High School by access control specialists Lock-tec (UK) Ltd, to upgrade the school’s security systems in line with Government targets for safeguarding children.

To comply with the Government targets, Weaverham High School contacted Lock-tec who recommended Smartair update-on-card and door automation, as a complete Access Control system.

Hand hygiene specialist TEAL is launching a new floor standing portable warm water hand wash unit for young children at the Education Show 2011 in Birmingham from March 17th to 19th. See it on Stand T86.

The Kiddisynk™ has been developed to train youngsters to wash their hands properly and make it a fun activity.

Freedor is the new, unique, ergonomic solution for holding fire doors open safely and legally whilst enabling improved access. Freedor is a wireless device that is installed at the top of a fire door, allowing the door to swing freely, be left in any position, but closing the door when the fire alarm sounds.

Hope Education, the UK’s largest educational resources provider has now extended its range to include four new sections; Office Equipment, Catering and Food Technology, Protective Workwear and Health and Safety.

Children are highly vulnerable to illness and swine flu has been particularly virulent this year. Thorough handwashing and drying after using the washroom can help to curb the spread of infections and viruses.

Valley Primary School’s washroom areas were in dire need of refurbishing and they chose Amwell’s Playtime range with dinosaur digital print to create washrooms that the children would be more inclined to look after! Amwell’s range for education includes products that look great, but are also safe, easily cleaned and robust.

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.

For 7 decades, the Deb Group has been providing skin care solutions in the form of hand hygiene products and dispensers, for all types of workplace, public and educational environments, spanning industrial, commercial, automotive, healthcare and food sectors.

Deb comprises 21 companies operating in 16 countries and they estimate that 40 million people use their products every day.

At the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Conference last month, an eminent infectious disease expert, Dr Ron Cutler, unveiled new research on the quality of hygiene in schools and the preventative measures that schools can take to keep pupils healthy. During his speech, Cutler called for “simple measures’ for safer schools.”

The research shows that nearly half of the schools (40%), do not have soap available at every washbasin, 35% of schools do not have written infection control procedures in place, and 6 out of 10 schools do not proactively encourage and educate staff and children to clean their hands. Despite these findings, Cutler believes that effective hand washing and drying, ensuring provision of the right hand cleaning facilities, and enforcing incubation periods for ill children, can help avoid a US style culture of law suits from parents against infection outbreaks and illness.