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npower Enthuse day at Fawley power station sparks interest in engineering

Students from Hardley School and Sixth Form in Holbury, Southampton sparked their interest in engineering taking part in an npower Enthuse day.

Five engineers from Fawley Power Station joined 115, Year 9 students at the Enthuse day. The programme is designed to inspire and engage students aged 12-14 years old in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a range of interactive activities designed to help them think about the impact science and engineering has on their daily lives.

The students were encouraged to think of ways to improve an existing electricity generation idea and product, or to design a completely new concept. They also took part in a series of hands-on activities, helping them to develop their engineering and science related skills and discussed the problem of how the country can meet and reduce the UK’s future demand for energy.

Enthuse, which is part of the npower's Brighter Futures Programme, aims to inspire young people from their first day at school to their first day at work. This is achieved by helping them to develop their skills and knowledge to make their own choices and empowering them to achieve their vision of a 'brighter future' for themselves and for the environment.

Nick Stockdale, Fawley Power Station Manager said: "I think Enthuse days are very important - it's our opportunity to give young people an insight into the energy industry and highlight opportunities available. I hope we have inspired some of today's students to really consider this industry as a career option for the future."

Thomas Ward, a pupil at Hardley School and Sixth Form said: "I really enjoyed all the activities, especially making catapults. I learnt a lot about which careers are involved with science and engineering. This day has really made me think about my future and different career opportunities."

Head teacher Andy Dyer from Hardley School and Sixth Form added: "The variety of activities gave the students an excellent insight into the diversity and challenges which might face an engineer. It was wonderful to see how students of all abilities were engaged in the activities offered. The staff and students would like to thank the people from Enthuse and npower for their enthusiasm and hard work."

Since the start of the Enthuse programme in 2007, the educational experience has reached out to over 7,100 students across the UK.

To find out more about npower's education programme and free resources for schools and community groups, visit www.npower.com/education.

FACTFILE:
RWE npower is an integrated energy business, generating electricity and supplying gas, electricity and related services to customers across the UK. They operate and manage flexible, low-cost coal, oil and gas-fired power stations - generating over 11 GW of electricity. They serve around 6.5 million customer accounts and produce more than 10% of the electricity used in England and Wales. They are also on twitter - @npowerhq, Facebook and YouTube.

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Technology firm gives away £10m to educational establishments to help boost industry retail merchandising skills

vrSoftware, the developer of leading visual merchandising and design software vrMockshop, is continuing its commitment to training across the retail industry after giving away £10m for the education of the next generation of retail professionals.

The software, which lets retailers create and merchandise a three-dimensional model of a retail store, has been offered to universities and colleges across the world to help provide students with cutting-edge retail skills.
The total value of software given away has now surpassed £10m and vrSoftware has committed to giving away £5m over the next year.
The company has been offering its vrMockshop tool to over 250 educational establishments across all corners of the globe - from London to New York to New Zealand. In the UK it has provided support to several organisations including the National Skills Academy for Retail, The Fashion Retail Academy and Hugh Baird College in Liverpool.

As this software is used by major retailers such as Nike, Calvin Klein, Reebok, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas and Levi's, the giveaway is helping to prepare students with transferable skills to the workplace.
The technology has helped students learn the art of visual merchandising at a detailed level to let them plan, build and visualise an entire 3D store – a dimension impossible with the physical limitations of most educational institutions.

Thousands of students are using vrMockshop to quickly set up virtual stores, dressing them with 3D hanging and folding merchandise, adding mannequins, POS materials and even posters to produce crystal clear 3D merchandising.

vrSoftware has found that students pick up the intuitive software very quickly - one student had learned the software and built his own store in less than 20 minutes! The company is also helping with the apprenticeship programmes pioneered by the National Skills Academy through its SkillSmart centres.

Colin Liversedge, vrSoftware CEO and founder, said: "I'm a great believer in supporting apprenticeship programs and the benefit it reaps in terms of career development. Our solutions are already used on a global basis by some of the world's leading fashion brands, and for me it is a privilege to be in a position to be able to give something back to the retail industry. If I can better help prepare these students and apprentices for their future careers and equip them with specific skills which is demanded by the industry then hopefully it will lead to an even more employable workforce.”

Tony Morgan, Head of Visual Merchandising at The Fashion Retail Academy, said: “Producing a 3D floor plan with vrMockshop will give students a sense of scale and perspective that other programmes do not offer. Having the chance to design their own 'virtual' store is critical when demonstrating their creativity. Just as importantly, seeing how their collections can be displayed in those stores will allow them to consider the commercial aspects of their designs too.”

Jane Rexworthy, Head of National Skills Academy for Retail, said: “We are delighted to have developed a partnership with vrSoftware and their VrMockshop software. The offer of free software through the National Skills Academy for Retail’s network of retail skills shops, worth around £500,000 now, is of course financially supportive but the software gives our learners a genuine cutting edge when they go out into the job market and the vital retail arena. Plus, we can meet out targets for other skills within the software, as it covers functional skills for all learners. It’s refreshing to deal with such a supportive UK company!”

Notes to Editor:

• vrMockshop is software which allows clients to assemble a three-dimensional model of a retail store (or a section of a store) with realistic merchandise.

• The visual merchandising software is fast, flexible and incredibly straightforward to use.

• vrMockshop reduces operating costs, drives sales and improves efficiency. vrSoftware has been an essential and trusted tool for 15 years.

• The software has over 5,000 users in 30 countries.

• Customers include major global brands such as Nike, Calvin Klein, Reebok, Macy's, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Levi's and many more.

• The software is already being used in over 250 educational establishments, ensuring that the visual merchandisers of tomorrow are competent users of vrMockshop.

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Drop in College Enrolment Blamed on Scrapping of EMA

Perspective, a UK provider of learning management software, has claimed that an apparent drop in college enrolment figures is likely to be an affect of the loss of the education maintenance allowance (EMA).

A survey of 182 colleges conducted by the Association of Colleges found that 49 per cent of those surveyed saw a drop in applications from 16 to 19-year-old compared to the same period last year. This drop coincides with the scrapping of the education maintenance allowance, and is the first time the number of enrolling students has fallen in 12 years.

It is believed that increased transport costs coupled with the scrapping of the EMA has left college education as an unaffordable option for many potential students. Colleges that reported a decline also noted that competition from other providers and cuts in funding per student were also partially to blame.

This decrease in enrolment also coincides with the government’s plans to increase the number of apprenticeships across the UK. Although reports earlier in the year indicated that the number of new apprentices had far exceeded the government’s targets, these figures don’t appear to have made a lasting impression on the 16 to 19-year-old population, with unemployment in this age group continuing to increase.

Paul Davis, managing director of Perspective, said: “This drop in enrolment clearly shows how important the EMA was in keeping students in education. The replacement bursary funding doesn’t appear to be a suitable replacement and has left potential students with no other option but to look for work amidst the currently overcrowded jobs market. It is vital we look to encourage 16 to 19-year-olds to stay in education to ensure they are suitable trained to find work during this period of high unemployment.”

Perspective is an individual learning plan provider to the UK education sector. For more information on how Perspective’s integrated systems interoperability framework products can assist you, please visit www.perspective-uk.com or call 0121 506 9540.

(EDITOR: As a former trainer of adults and young people, I feel that it is more likely that some people had only attended college because they wanted to claim the EMA and had no interest in learning at all. Often to the detriment of other students who genuinely wanted to improve themselves, earn qualifications and get better jobs.

So perhaps the scrapping of the EMA might not have been an entirely bad thing? I have witnessed disruptive "only here for the money" students and how their presence in the classroom was disruptive to those students who did want to learn.)

Thomson and First Choice move closer to sustainable pledge by reaching over 140,000 school pupils with key environmental message

Working with National Schools Partnership (NSP) to incorporate the innovative ‘Eco-traveller’ programme into the National Curriculum, Thomson and First Choice’s sustainable tourism key messages have reached over 1,000 schools across the UK and more than 140,000 children.

The Eco-traveller programme which was launched in June this year, includes a series of activity sheets with teacher notes and an online quiz game for use in the classroom and at home. All these teaching aids are designed to teach primary school children at Key Stage two (aged seven to 11) about the steps that they can take to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Activity sheets on destinations such as Kenya encourage the children to think laterally about ecosystems and the needs of animals and humans, whilst spotting the problems that could be caused by climate change in communities around the world. The children also learn about the issues that holiday destinations could face, with a detailed look at the sustainable tourism projects that Thomson and First Choice are involved in.

School pupils have been learning about recycling, reducing water usage and packing lightly when going on holiday – they also had the opportunity to enter a competition by outlining their ‘green’ pledge in a bid to win a family holiday courtesy of Thomson and First Choice. Four pupils from across the UK were awarded the prize for their hard work.

Christian Cull, Director of Communications for Thomson and First Choice, said: “We have had really positive feedback from pupils, parents and teachers and want to continue the Eco-traveller project into next year. This activity goes some way towards fulfilling one of our ‘Holidays Forever’ commitments: engaging half a million children in sustainable tourism. We also know that our customers want to travel with a tour operator that cares about the environment, so this is a really important area for us to continue to review and improve on. ”

There were four winners overall from across the UK, each winning a £2,000 holiday voucher.

The full 20 sustainable commitments are available on the Holidays Forever website here: www.holidaysforever.co.uk and details on the Eco-Traveller project can be found here: www.holidaysforever.co.uk/ecotraveller.

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ECA welcomes Government pilot to give employers more control over skills training

Steve Bratt, CEO of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), welcomes today’s announcement from the Prime Minister that a £250 million fund will be made available to employers over the next two years. The fund will enable employers to design, develop and purchase vocational training programmes which they actually need.

Bratt says: “Skills are integral to the growth of our economy, so this new pilot should offer the Government a strong return on investment. By making training options employer-led, firms can ensure that their workers have the skills required. Currently, businesses are shouldering the cost of training but this is a huge strain, especially for SMEs, given the current economic climate and particularly in sectors such as electrical, where an apprenticeship takes three years to complete.

“However, the Government must ensure that approved applications represent a real benefit to businesses by providing meaningful, hands-on work experience, and industry-recognised qualifications.”

Bratt adds: “The ECA recently launched a campaign called ‘Wired for Success’ which aims to make the electrical industry more accessible to women – who currently constitute less than one per cent of our industry. Traditional training routes can act as a barrier to entry, but Wired for Success has created a flexible training model. We believe this programme is a blueprint for success which can be applied across other sectors and hope that money can be drawn down to fund innovative initiatives such as this.”

For more information on Wired For Success, please visit the website: www.eca.co.uk/wired, follow the campaign on Twitter: @wiredforsuccess, or watch the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJm8l1M4QlY

Vocational training news welcomed

Steve Bratt, CEO of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), applauds the Government’s plan to raise the profile of vocational training, but warns that only industry recognised apprenticeships should take the credit.

“It’s good to see the status of vocational training being raised. For too long now apprenticeships have been seen as second class to degrees. If, as Vince Cable has pledged today, we are to make the UK’s apprenticeship programme truly world-class, then it is important that apprenticeships are given the public recognition that they deserve.”

Bratt goes on to say: “While this and measures to create additional apprenticeship places are to be applauded, I would urge Government to think carefully when determining the criteria for an apprenticeship, as well as Government funding. We must ensure that these apply to industry-recognised qualifications that are meaningful and provide benefit to employers. There are a number of short courses, which fail to adequately train, and ultimately leave people under-qualified and out of pocket. These are not true apprenticeships as they do not provide the vital work experience required by employers.”

Bratt concludes: “Our country is at a cross roads and if we don’t act now to shore up the skills deficit in our craft industries by investing in skilled apprenticeships, we will have little chance of successfully emerging out of the recession.”

Apprenticeships Need to be Considered as 80 Percent of Students Re-evaluate University Plans Follow Fee Rise

With recent figures revealing that up to 80 percent of students are re-evaluating their future education plans following the hike in university tuition fees, Perspective, the Midlands-based pioneers of learner management systems, suggests that modern apprenticeships are a viable alternative.

The government’s new funding system for higher education will see maximum tuition fees increased to £9,000 per annum from 2012, a figure that is forcing many students to reconsider their higher education options.

“Modern apprenticeships present a practicable, and equally valuable, alternative for those students effectively priced out of university”, points out Paul Davis, managing director of Perspective. “Apprenticeships are heavily backed by the government and cover almost every possible profession. With the opportunity to earn and learn at the same time, apprenticeships should at the very least be a consideration.”

Any successful apprenticeship scheme will equip learners with the skills and knowledge needed to progress well within a chosen industry. With effective apprentice monitoring systems in place, a successful apprenticeship scheme will allow learners to be in a position to be able to contribute to a business from the very first day – an increasingly popular method of staff development amongst businesses.

Paul added: “Student tracking during apprenticeships is essential to the long-term success of any scheme, but doing this manually and ensuring that it is accurate and all records are continually up-to-date is a virtually impossible task. Our Sunesis software, however, provides the ability to do this with just a few simple clicks of a button.”

Many large, multinational companies including BAE Systems, British Gas, BT and Tesco have all adopted apprenticeship schemes with outstanding results. Indeed, BT apprentices reportedly generated a 7.5 percent higher rate of productivity than non-apprentices, whilst BAE Systems’ apprenticeship scheme now provides 80 percent of the skills needed to become a manager within the company.

With clearly defined career paths, apprenticeships may well be the perfect option for those students keen to avoid the inevitable debt that goes hand-in-hand with attending university.

For more information about Perspective, please visit www.perspective-uk.com

Changing floors in school changing room

RonaFloor Epoxy Floor Mortar was used to upgrade floors in male and female changing rooms at St Johns School in Billericay, Essex. The floor needed to be seamless with a slip-resistant finish that was comfortable to bare feet in the shower areas and hard wearing, to withstand scuffing from studded boots and shoes.

Contractors S Carter & Son removed the failed vinyl flooring and then prepared the floating screed, ensuring that the underfloor heating was not disturbed and that the substrate was keyed ready to receive the new screed.

The floor was primed with RonaFloor Epoxy Primer which then had kiln-dried sand cast into it, to improve the key. After curing of the first coat, a second coat of primer was applied and the blue RonaFloor Epoxy Floor Mortar was applied to the tacky primer as a floor screed and a 150mm high coving.

Key features of RonaFloor Epoxy Floor Mortar
• Good workability
• Resistant to mechanical and chemical attack
• Slip resistant finish
• Seven colours available grey (standard colour), red, green, brown, blue, yellow and charcoal.
• Suitable for light and heavy duty floors
• Standard grade: foot traffic after 10 hours, heavy traffic 16 hours
• Rapid grade available which can be trafficked after only four hours at 20°C

Contact Ronacrete for more information.

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Pleasley Colliery Wins EMCBE Heritage Award

We are delighted to announce that Woodhead Heritages’ £860K repair and regeneration project at Pleasley Colliery won the Heritage Award at the 2011 EMCBE (East Midlands Centre for Constructing the Built Environment) Awards dinner on 28 October 2011.

Celebrating the best of construction, the Awards are open to all involved in delivering construction and contributing to the built environment in the East Midlands.

The Heritage Award in particular celebrates schemes of repair which significantly improve the aesthetic quality of a building/project. With eight finalists for the Heritage Award the competition was tough, so winning the Award was particular special for Woodhead Heritage, a Robert Woodhead brand.

As a scheduled monument, the repair of Pleasley Colliery located in the north of Nottinghamshire, was a very new and unique project for Woodhead. Simon Butler of Woodhead Heritage comments, “We’re delighted to have received the Constructing Excellence Heritage Award on behalf of all those that played a part in the work at Pleasley.

"It was a hugely enjoyable, challenging project, and was a real team effort, where everyone fully played their part. We are particularly pleased for the individuals that worked on the project as they really did work tirelessly to solve complex problems and ensure we followed sound conservation principles. The regeneration has secured the site for the future and opens the way for a Visitor Centre. A number of jobs have already been created in the community too.”

Simon continued, “We'd also like to congratulate the Pleasley Pit Trust for winning the Heritage Angels award for the project on the 31st October.”

Lead judge Fred Markland commented on the night regarding the winning project, ” These buildings of course, provide the most difficult challenge not only to the surrounding communities, but also in terms of intervention as in many instances they appear on a much larger scale with relatively uncommon repair elements to focus on. In the past it has been only to easy to discard much of what is now cherished and worthy of preserving from our industrial past and without attention, we may lose important links to the past which can provide much needed tourism opportunities to challenged areas.”

After the Awards evening, Fred Markland highlighted, “The submission received from Robert Woodhead demonstrated very clearly what issues and effective repairs had been carried out on the project and that the quality and execution were in line with current conservation standards with the key issue being the retention and repair of existing fabric.”

Steve Saunders, Partner at William Saunders, the Architects, commented “We are delighted to have been involved in the conservation works at Pleasley Colliery. This was a challenging and hugely interesting project for all members of the Design Team and Contractor Team to be involved with that secures the future of the Pleasley site for many years to come.”

The project was funded by East Midlands Development Agency and the Homes and Community Agency and the site is currently managed by The Land Trust.

Woodhead Heritage will now go on to represent the East Midlands region at this year’s Constructing Excellence National Awards in London on 25 November 2011.

For more details regarding the project, please see our Pleasley Colliery case study

PICTURED: Photo of the Constructing Excellence Heritage Award Winners (Left to right): Jonathan Foyle, Chief Executive, World Monument Fund Britain, Mukesh Kashyab, Chair of the CIC (sponsor), Architect Alex Gibson, William Saunders LLP (holding the award), Site Manager Richard Savage, Robert Woodhead Ltd (holding the framed award), Architect Steve Saunders from William Saunders LLP and far right is Fred Markland, Private Heritage Consultant (lead judge).

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Learner Management Solutions Make Apprenticeships More Attractive for Businesses

The availability of software solutions to efficiently manage and supervise the progression of learners is making apprenticeship schemes a much more attractive opportunity for businesses according to Perspective, the Midlands-based pioneers of real-time student monitoring software.

Effectively tracking learner progression can significantly enhance the effectiveness and therefore success rates of apprenticeship schemes, and software, such as Perspective’s Sunesis, means that it can now be achieved much more easily and with greater accurately and control.

Paul Davis, Managing Director of Perspective, said: “The deployment of an apprenticeship scheme is a great way for companies to develop their own, almost tailor made, employee base. However, some businesses have been previously deterred from doing so due to the extra administration demands placed upon their existing teams and the indefinite success rates.”

Businesses can now ensure that they are achieving the maximum output possible from their schemes, while providing improved support for both their pupils and the mentors involved in the training process. Sunesis by Perspective ensures that the process of tracking learner progression and attendance throughout a training scheme is a simple yet effective task; improving success rates as a result.

Sunesis also provides a simple means to keeping track of learner funding management. Perspective’s Funding Manager is an easy way of managing all sources of employer responsive funding as well as quality and compliance and ensuring that all funding submissions are 100 per cent accurate and full financial support is received.

Paul continued: “Filling out all the funding paperwork can be a laborious, time consuming and often confusing task which can often result in the full entitlement not being received. Funding Manager however, ensures that the paperwork is correct before submission so it avoids this common problem in the first instance.”

For more information about Perspective and its range of education tracking software, please visit perspective-uk.com, or call 0121 506 9540.

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Able Skills will lead the way in electrical training

Able Skills has announced a number of courses and evening classes available for those wishing to study electrical training including the new City and Guilds 2357 qualification.

The City and Guilds 2357 electrical qualification is set to be the only route into the electrical industry now that the C&G 2330 has reached the end of its registration period. This new qualification is designed to suit those who are new to the electrical industry as well as those who are existing practitioners, similar to the expired technical certificates (C&G 2330) and NVQs (C&G 2356).

Able Skills are one of the few training providers that offer evening classes in the City and Guilds 2357 qualification, allowing flexible hours for those studying and further displaying the company's commitment to trades training.

As well as the new qualification, Able Skills are also offering courses in solar electrical training and courses for those wishing to become domestic installers and electricians, with the latter courses available to be studied at weekends for those who can't study during the week.

Gary Measures, Able Skills director, said: "Able Skills are committed to providing the latest electrical courses at our dedicated training centres. We provide every accredited electrical qualification and our highly qualified and experienced instructors are among some of the best in the country."

The new City and Guilds 2357 electrical qualification joins many other courses that are part of Able Skills training portfolio including electrical training, tiling training and plastering training.

FACTFILE:

Able Skills was launched in 2002 and is now firmly established as one of the leaders in the delivery of Construction Training and is currently in the position of being able to offer qualifications in every subject it covers, right up to NVQ level 3. Programmes include plumbing training, painting and decorating courses, carpentry courses and bricklaying courses among many others.

Able Skills can provide training for anyone looking to learn a construction trade whether they are looking at guidance for DIY purposes or considering a change of career.

Quality and value for money are priority for every member of Able Skills team; it promotes honesty and offers progression and support in everything it does.

Able Skills is confident in the delivery of its training and encourages everyone to pay it a visit to see firsthand what it does; no appointments are necessary, no sales team and no pressure - Able Skills feels sure that once potential applicants have visited Able Skills, it will be where they choose to train.

www.ableskills.co.uk

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Primary schools across the UK are urged to register for the Communication Triathlon!

Primary schools across the UK are urged to register for the Communication Triathlon today!

With 300 days to go until the start of the Olympic Games, primary schools across the UK are being encouraged this month to register for the Communication Triathlon and join thousands of children and staff across the country who have already ‘exercised’ their speaking and listening skills.

The Communication Triathlon has been developed in partnership between Openreach and I CAN, the children’s communication charity. The Triathlon is a series of active and fun-filled events for primary schools, intended to boost speaking and listening skills, which can be undertaken by a class, a year group or a whole school over the course of a week or even a day.

The programme encourages children to take part in three London 2012-themed speaking and listening activities around Thinking, Talking and Teamwork and is split across 4-7 and 7-11 year olds.

The Communication Triathlon is free to take part in as it is supported by Openreach, BT’s local network business and is part of Get Set, the official London 2012 education programme.

Ms. Cosby, from Stoke Park Junior School in Hampshire, said, “Walking along the corridor on the day of our Communication Triathlon was a delight as chatting and singing could be heard from every classroom. The children thoroughly enjoyed communicating with each other in very different and supportive ways. All the staff and children had such a good morning we are planning to do the Communication Triathlon again in the near future!”

Liv Garfield, Chief Executive, Openreach, said, “Our purpose at Openreach is to enable communication and we care passionately about that. I CAN’s work with children who have communications difficulties represents everything we strive for and we are proud to be working in partnership with them to bring the Communication Triathlon to schools. We hope that as many UK schools as possible, will get involved in this brilliant activity.”

Virginia Beardshaw, I CAN Chief Executive, said, “The Communication Triathlon is a fantastic way for primary school children to develop their talking, understanding and team-working skills, whilst engaging in the upcoming London 2012 Games.

"The Communication Triathlon activity pack has been written by I CAN teachers and speech and language therapists, so schools will find excellent lesson plans to use alongside activities such as the ‘Language Relay’ and ‘Sports Bingo’. We are thrilled to be working with Openreach to encourage as many schools as possible to take part to improve children’s ‘Communication Fitness’.”

Openreach will donate £100 to I CAN for each of the first 500 primary schools that register to take part in the Communication Triathlon.

To register and get your Communication Triathlon pack today, visit www.communicationtriathlon.org.uk

World Of Learning Conference & Exhibition 2011

Registration is open for the highly important World of Learning Conference & Exhibition, rightly dubbed the premier event for business learning, which will draw thousands of learning and development (L&D) professionals to the NEC in Birmingham on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 September 2011.

Now in its 19th year, the event's exhibition will bring together around 100 UK and international exhibitors, while the world-renowned conference will feature industry- leading speakers from across the globe. Alongside this are several inspiring free features including the ever-popular free seminar programme, the Professional Development Zone, the Social Learning Zone and the International Zone, which attracts L&D buyers from overseas. Together these features make the World of Learning Conference & Exhibition the essential date in the diary for all leading L&D professionals each year.

Visitors to the exhibition will find companies offering the latest in ideas in all sectors of L&D, from e-learning, using social media in learning and consultancy, to experiential learning, coaching and informal learning. Leading organisations taking part include Thales Training & Consultancy, Kaplan IT Learning, Seminar Learning System, LSN, SalesAssessment.com, Priority Management and Jigsaw@work.

As companies start to focus on business beyond the recession, HR and L&D professionals are now collaborating more closely than ever, particularly on issues such as organisational development and talent management. This comes at a time when, according to research by Future Think, 74 per cent of management professionals in many of the most innovative organisations see the influence of L&D expanding in the immediate future*.

Both the exhibition and conference are designed to enable L&D specialists to develop their skills and consult their peers and experts in order to equip them with the capabilities to succeed in the current and future business environment.

The highly respected conference reflects the current business market and future direction of the industry, addressing and providing valuable insight into the key issues facing L&D, from talent management, employee engagement, leadership development and coaching, to informal learning, collaborative learning, e-learning development and proving ROI. An impressive programme of top-class speakers will be announced in June. The World of Learning Conference is a CPD-certified event, providing delegates with a CPD Certificate of Attendance.

Free features within the exhibition will include: an extensive programme of informative free seminars, sponsored by TrainingZone.co.uk, offering practical advice on the key current L&D issues; the Experiential Learning Zone, facilitated by Pearlcatchers, providing hands-on sessions about creativity and communication; the Professional Development Zone, hosted by the British Institute for Learning & Development (BILD), where experts offer invaluable careers advice; the Social Learning Zone; the International Zone, supported by UKTI, bringing L&D decision-makers from a variety of markets worldwide; skills workshops; the Workplace Wellness Zone; the Trainer Base; and the Business & Networking Lounge.

In conjunction with the World of Learning, the Guardian will be publishing a supplement about L&D, which will be distributed within the newspaper on 10 September. The supplement will provide high quality editorial offering important insight into many of the topical issues to be discussed at the World of Learning.

"L&D professionals are facing a rapidly changing environment with a variety of new issues and opportunities that were not around before the recession. A visit to the event will ensure they are up-to-date with the latest thinking in every aspect of the industry and provide cost-efficient solutions to their needs," said Andrew Gee, Senior Project Manager for the World of Learning.

The World of Learning 2011 is held in association with BILD and is supported by the following associations and industry titles: UKTI, Personnel Today, HR Magazine, Training Journal, TrainingZone.co.uk, eLearning Network, the European Institute for e-Learning, Towards Maturity, PersonnelZone.com and Learning Magazine; Government Business and Government Technology are public sector media supporters and Training Journal is the official media supporter of the conference.

Registration for the World of Learning 2011 is now open at www.learnevents.com, where full details about the event are also available. For the latest news and updates about the World of Learning 2011 follow the exhibition on Twitter at www. twitter.com/Learn_EventsUK, and join the World of Learning Conference & Exhibition group on LinkedIn.

Trade Skills 4U & JTL partner to deliver quality electrical apprenticeships

National Electrical Provision enhanced by New Training Partnership

Trade Skills 4U and JTL have announced an i8mportant partnership to deliver NVQ Diploma qualifications to electrical apprentices looking to become fully qualified in the electrical industry.

Thanks to this new agreement, the two organisations are working together to offer the most recognised electrician’s NVQ qualification of its kind in the UK. The government, ECA, JIB, JTL and Summit skills all recognise it as a robust route to becoming a fully qualified electrician.

Candidates looking to train within this industry will now be able to benefit from this collaboration as they will effectively receive the ‘best bits’ from two nationally recognised organisations, allowing the partners to focus their energy on what they do best.

The theoretical and practical training required to complete the knowledge components of the qualification will be conducted within Trade Skills 4U’s state of the art training facilities in Gatwick, West Sussex. Candidates will be able to take advantage of the centre’s fully equipped classrooms complete with workshop areas built to enhance student learning. The assessments and NVQ visits after the training course will then be delivered nationwide via an assigned JTL assessor.

Carl Bennett, Managing Director of Trade Skills 4U said: “As one of the UK’s leading independent electrical training provider’s, we bring an expertise in making people aware of the opportunities available to them along with the right customer service attitude needed to drive a retail business where the customer is key. This is a great opportunity for us as well as the students to come together and build the best training programme on offer today.”

Caroline Turner, Director of Operations for JTL added “We are delighted to have entered into this arrangement with Trade Skills 4U which we envisage can only bring benefits to the apprentices and their employers. Both organisations place strong emphasis on the quality of provision and support and we very much look forward to working together to creating innovative ways of meeting our employer partners’ requirements for training and assessment long into the future.”

Trade Skills 4U have many fully and partially funded electrical apprenticeships available for those wishing to become trained as fully qualified electricians.

FACTFILE:

Trade Skills 4U LTD is the UK’s largest independent electrical & renewable energy training provider based in Gatwick, West Sussex. The company established in 2005 and has since added a dedicated renewable energy training centre to its brand.

The centre houses the first and only single storey training roof created solely for the use of students training to install solar PV. Trade Skills 4U offer a range of electrician courses and renewable energy courses for those looking to train to become fully qualified electricians, domestic installers, renewable energy installers and sales and management consultants.

Cornwall College to cut budgeting time and to electronically circulate over 100,000 documents

Advanced Business Solutions’ finance system will provide Cornwall College with vital time and paper saving benefits.

Cornwall College, the third largest further and higher education college in the UK with 45,000 students, is implementing a financial management system (FMS) with integrated budgeting, forecasting and planning functionality from Advanced Business Solutions (ABS). This FMS, which also comprises integrated cash flow forecasting, workflow and document imaging software, will cut the time taken to budget and forecast and enable the electronic circulation of 100,000 documents. The planned go live of the new ABS system is Q1 2012.

Cornwall College currently uses a restrictive finance system that doesn't adequately support the college’s organisation-wide processes and paperless needs.

Cornwall College’s Finance Systems Manager, Christine Gosling, explains “Our current finance system cannot provide us with the sophisticated level of support we require. We need a finance system that is intuitive and flexible with advanced functionality so that we can streamline the flow of information, improve budgeting and forecasting and reduce our reliance on paper. After reviewing the market, Advanced Business Solutions’ finance system was the best choice for our needs.”

ABS’ finance system will provide Cornwall College with real-time budgetary information so that it can keep abreast of actual and expected financial expenditure, ultimately improving decision making. Currently, budgeting and forecasting is manually intensive and the data is soon out-of-date.

“We will reduce the time taken to compile and update budgets”, says Christine Gosling. “Instead of budget holders spending 30 minutes revising their budgets, by using the ABS system they will only need to spend five minutes, significantly cutting budgeting time. We will also be able to review budgets in real-time 24 hours a day, seven days a week, aiding decision making.”

The document imaging functionality (powered by Version One) combined with the integrated workflow functionality will enable the paperless circulation, approval and storage of business documents. This will prove key to the College’s goal of becoming as paperless as possible.

Christine Gosling says, “Using ABS’ system, we will reduce the time taken circulating and approving paper documents across our eight sites. Staff currently spend far too much time paper chasing and so by freeing-up paper-based administration, they’ll have more time to deal with student queries.”


FACTFILE:

www.cornwall.ac.uk

Cornwall College is the UK’s third largest further and higher education college, serving over 45,000 students. The College is spread across seven different sites, offering a range of further and higher education courses.

About Advanced Business Solutions www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/abs

Advanced Business Solutions (ABS) provides leading integrated business applications and services that enable public, private and third sector organisations to retain control, improve visibility and gain efficiencies whilst continually improving corporate performance. ABS prides itself on getting close to its customers by understanding their businesses and responding to their evolving needs.

ABS' software systems comprise core accounting/financial management, procurement, human resource and payroll systems, integrated with a range of collaborative, document management and business intelligence solutions to extend the value and effectiveness of the finance, human resource and payroll departments, which can also be delivered as a managed or bureau service option.

Customers come from both public and private sectors and include Companies House, Newcastle City Council, WH Smith, Royal Bank of Scotland, Aer Lingus, National Express Group, DFS, RSPB and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust.

Advanced Business Solutions is a division of Advanced Computer Software Group plc, a leading supplier of software and IT services to the health, care and business services sectors.

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Replacement laptops for students within 24 hours of claim – says Endsleigh Insurance

Today, laptops are essential for every student to keep up-to-date with their studies. This is why Endsleigh Insurance, student insurance specialists with over 40 years experience, offer a 24-hour replacement option for lost or broken laptops.

Endsleigh recently revealed students take on average £2,652 worth of goods to university and they have published data on the different types of claims made by students. One of the most common causes of laptop claims is drinks being split on them.

Infographic detailing the common insurance claims and their causes http://www.endsleigh.co.uk/Student/Pages/student-insurance-c...

Standard home contents cover is inadequate insurance for modern students, says Endsleigh Insurance. Prone to accidents in shared houses and with student areas often targeted by thieves, many students have the need to claim on their insurance at some time during their studies.

Endsleigh Insurance has been specialising in student insurance for the last 40 years and in that time there have been massive changes in the type of goods students need to be insured for. Forty years ago, students had little other than their books and clothes, now modern student houses are packed with valuable gadgets and technology – from laptops, to iPods, televisions and microwaves, it’s no wonder student homes are so well targeted by thieves.

Too many students are unaware of all the benefits of taking out specialist Student Insurance, leaving them at huge risk.
The Endsleigh student insurance guarantees –
• With Endsleigh student insurance, you only pay for the cover you need.
• You’re covered for walk in theft.
• The student laptop insurance could see you sent a replacement laptop within 24 hours if lost or stolen. (T&C apply)

• £3000 worth of contents cover
• Replacement loan item whilst yours is repaired
Endsleigh also offers tailored insurance for students living in halls.

Vicki O’Connell, spokeswoman for Endsleigh explained: “We have seen radical changes in the student population over the last 40 years and the items they claim for have grown hugely in value.”

“Students don’t have the funds to go out and buy a replacement laptop is theirs is lost or stolen, but it causes chaos for them to be without one. We think offering a replacement laptop for students is the only practical solution – just like offering replacement cars for drivers.”

Next day represents 1 working day from them accepting your claim.
They will provide you with a loan notebook if they can’t repair your laptop within 5 working days.

Find out more about Student Insurance from Endsleigh http://www.endsleigh.co.uk/Student/Pages/student-insurance.a...

FACTFILE:

Founded in 1965, Endsleigh is now one of the UK's leading independent intermediaries. Endsleigh specialises in providing student insurance solutions as well as packages career people and therefore it is a lifelong relationship that they seek with their clients: the product range that starts with students and continues through to retirement and beyond.

You can therefore obtain the most appropriate insurance policy to suit your changing lifestyle - whatever you drive, or home insurance policy for whichever type of property you live in and wherever you travel.

Their aim is to exceed our clients' expectations for price, cover and service.

Website: http://www.endsleigh.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/endsleigh
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Endsleigh

redspottedhanky.com announces fund raising for The Prince's Trust

redspottedhanky.com is proud to announce it will be raising funds for The Prince's Trust.

redspottedhanky is supporting the 2011 Prince's Trust 'Million Makers' corporate challenge, a charity competition which sees teams from a hundred organisations set up businesses in order to raise as much funding as possible for The Prince's Trust. redspottedhanky has entered a team into the 2011 'Million Makers' challenge and need customers to donate loyalty points in order to help it reach its target.

Customers can log in to their online account using their normal username and password, and then can select the amount of loyalty points they would like to donate.

The 'Million Makers' fundraising team formed in June 2011 and initially met some of the young people helped by The Prince's Trust. The team subsequently brainstormed for fund raising activities ideas and came away ready to take on the challenge of winning the competition.

The team have set an ambitious fundraising target and will be running various fundraising events and schemes through 2011. Users can keep up-to-date with the 'Million Makers' team and see how they are working towards their objectives by visiting the redspottedhanky website.

The Prince's Trust offers practical solutions to help young people get their lives working. Around one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the UK economy £10 million a day in lost productivity, while youth crime costs £1 billion every year. The Prince's Trust address this by giving practical and financial support to the young people who need it most. They help develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or training.

FACTFILE:
Atos Origin, a leading international IT services provider specialising in hi-tech transactional services, has radically developed its strategy to grow its revenue by venturing into the B2C arena with the launch of redspottedhanky.com, the first consumer service from the IT B2B player.

Redspottedhanky.com is an online travel retailer, providing an easy way for leisure and business travellers to compare and book cheap train tickets online, and to save up to 80% on the cost of tickets booked in advance. Most notably, redspottedhanky.com offers something truly unique when buying train tickets online: it is the first ever British online retailer to offer loyalty points that can be redeemed against future train travel for any journey in Great Britain.

For regular train travellers in these cash-strapped times, participation in the loyalty scheme would allow them to earn points for redemption against future rail travel and be rewarded beyond the price of a single ticket.

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Are YOU saving for university fees?

As A-level students await their results this Thursday, instant online credit information provider, Equifax, has investigated how families are preparing for the future costs of university education.

The findings of the study amongst users of the company’s credit report services, reveal that many families do not believe they will be able to financially support their children when they go to university. It appears that the current pressure on finances, combined with the expected much higher tuition fees from 2012, means that saving for future education is being sacrificed.

When respondents to the Equifax survey were asked if they thought that their children would go to university, 77 out of 120 respondents (64.2%) said yes. But nearly half (60 of 139 people) said that they weren’t currently saving for their child’s future education. 82.2% (120 out of 146 respondents) said that their children were not saving to put themselves through university either.

“Whilst the level of responses to our research is quite small, it reflects the views of financially active individuals who, by completing the survey, have an implicit interest in the education of future generations”, explained Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax. “And it is clear that the issue of financing it is a very big worry.

“The fact of the matter is that that the majority of students will graduate with some level of debt. It is therefore essential that they try to manage their spending the best they can whilst studying to help reduce their overall level of debt which can influence their future after graduation.

“We also believe they should take control of their finances from the outset of adulthood, understanding all the factors that will influence their future ability to participate in society. Their credit information is a fundamental part of that process and they need to be aware of all the data held on their credit report and how it is used and assessed by lenders.”

Equifax believes that many students are unaware that any late payments and unpaid bills, even just for mobile phone or Cable and Satellite TV accounts will show up on their credit report and have a long-term impact on their credit rating. It therefore, urges students to get a copy of their credit report every year to ensure they understand what information will be used when they make applications for credit in the future.

The Equifax Credit Report, with the facility to access credit information for the first 30 days free, is accessible simply by logging onto www.equifax.co.uk. If the customer does not cancel before the end of the 30 Day Free Trial, the service will continue at £6.99 per month, giving them unlimited online access to their credit information and weekly alerts on any changes to their credit file. It also includes an online dispute facility to help them correct any errors on their credit file simply and quickly.

Warning to students NOT to be main name on financial agreements

With the University year over and a new one set to start in September; August will spark a lot of movement in students finding new accommodation. And whilst many students will choose to share with friends, especially those leaving halls of residents, leading online credit information expert Equifax, is urging them to be aware of the potential risks of being the main name on a financial agreement and trusting friends to keep up monthly payments, as Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax explains.

“Sharing accommodation with friends at University is a fun and exciting time, but it’s crucial that individuals are aware of the implications of signing up as the main person on a financial agreement, like a media package. By doing so they are ultimately taking full responsibility that everyone who will be sharing the cost, will pay on time. If monthly payments are late, it can impact on that individual’s long-term financial history.

“Any financial agreements – including those for things like telecommunications services such as cable and broadband connections – are shown on an individual’s credit report. And whilst the monthly cost may be shared amongst house-mates, the ultimate responsibility for paying the monthly bill on time will be down to the main person on the agreement.

One case that Equifax dealt with recently at its Credit File Advice Centre, was of a recent graduate who had moved out of a shared house and friends had moved in. Thinking he was being helpful, he agreed that they could keep the media package for internet, TV, etc, he had signed to, as he had secured a great deal.

Little did he know though, that the trust he had put in his friends to keep up monthly repayments had resulted in them paying the bill late on a number of occasions. Consequently each late payment had been logged on his credit file, impacting on his ability to get further credit.

This case clearly illustrates it is vital to ensure that any financial agreement taken out is fully paid up and then closed when the main name on the contract moves out. When it comes to paying financial agreements on time, even a best mate can slip behind on payments, so it’s not worth taking that risk.” concludes Munroe.

Equifax believes that many students are unaware that late payments and unpaid bills such as Cable and Satellite TV packages show up on their credit report, and may not realise the long-term impact this could have on their credit rating. Equifax, therefore, urges students to get a copy of their credit report at the end of each year at University to ensure that their names are not on any of the financial agreements that they once had, so that other people’s late payments do not affect their credit file.

The Equifax Credit Report, with the facility to access credit information for the first 30 days free, is accessible simply by logging onto www.equifax.co.uk. If the customer does not cancel before the end of the 30 Day Free Trial, the service will continue at £6.99 per month, giving them unlimited online access to their credit information and weekly alerts on any changes to their credit file. It also includes an online dispute facility to help them correct any errors on their credit file simply and quickly.

Free eBooks for A Level studies welcomed by cash-strapped schools - according to survey

A survey conducted by OCR shows teachers facing tight budgets welcome the offer of free A Level eBooks from next September to help with their students’ studies.

Responses from over 1500 schools and colleges revealed that over 90% of teachers thought free resources for A Level students would help with their students’ studies while over 75% thought that the withdrawal of the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) would affect students’ ability to buy textbooks.

Awarding body OCR has joined up with Oxford University Press (OUP) and Hodder Education to provide free e-versions of AS and A2 publications, starting from September 2011. The offer from OCR, a not for profit organisation, is available to all schools and colleges teaching A Levels and covers broad areas of the curriculum. It’s the first time that free eBooks from major publishers have been made available via an awarding body.

Teachers have welcomed the money-saving move, as well as the benefits of new technology:

“I think the scheme is great, it would save schools and learners a fortune.” Clive West, Head of Science, Hall Green School, Birmingham.

“This sounds wonderful - a real gap in what we offer our students.” John Stokes, Head of Science, Gordano School, Bristol.

“This sounds great! It is something that I have considered and could make portability of equipment more efficient for some students. I look forward to my OCR eBook for History.” Jon Kempton, Langley School, Norwich.

“We would use eBooks and online resources if available in the 3 sciences, as this not only targets our development of e-learning, but can count towards our striving to be green.” Kay Thomas, Ashlawn School, Rugby.

The free eBooks will be available in a wide range of subjects including Maths, English, Languages, History, RE, Physics, Law, PE, Business Studies, ICT, Psychology and many more.

Mark Dawe, OCR Chief Executive said: “This partnership between OCR, Hodder and OUP gives A Level teachers and their students access to free high-quality eBooks which can be used in the classroom or at home. These resources can be used flexibly to suit personal teaching and learning styles. After the September launch, we’ll be working closely with our partners, schools and colleges to see how we can expand and improve this offer in future years.“

Commenting on the scheme, David Igoe, Sixth Form Colleges Forum Chief Executive said: “By working together, OCR and the publishers have shown their understanding of the needs of teachers and students, particularly in challenging economic times.”

Further details of the scheme and demos of the eBooks are available at www.ocr.org.uk/ebooks.

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Bidding for the Future - Art World raises funds for decorative arts education at Sotheby's auction

The Company of Arts Scholars is leading a campaign for greater educational support in the decorative arts with a spectacular Charity Auction at Sotheby’s later this year.

Today’s students will be the experts of tomorrow and the guardians of our heritage. But they will struggle to obtain the skills, knowledge and opportunities they need, without financial and practical support.

In February Colin Gleadell of the Daily Telegraph commented: “…in times of government cuts, it’s the art dealers and collectors at the auctions who can provide the jobs and sponsorship to keep the arts going”.

Now the Company of Arts Scholars is raising funds to support many crucial educational initiatives in the arts, including:

• The Tate Collective Training Programme – an intensive introduction to careers in the arts
• Future support for postgraduate internships at The Tate
• The Lord Mayor’s Cultural Scholarships – internships for London sixth formers in a wide range of galleries and institutions
• An annual travel bursary for arts based undergraduates
• An annual restoration/conservation prize for students at West Dean College in Sussex
• Other initiatives and opportunities for education and careers in the arts
The Company of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Collectors is a registered charity with members involved in the study, curation, trading or collecting of decorative art. Funding education in these fields is one of the Company’s key objectives.
The Arts Scholars’ Charity Auction will be held at Sotheby’s on 22 September with Loyd Grossman as its Patron and Sotheby’s European Chairman, Henry Wyndham, on the rostrum.
The auction is a perfect opportunity to buy very special gifts for the person who has everything, including exclusive arts-related experiences and private holidays, art and antiques and more. The many lots include:
• private tours of the newly restored Strawberry Hill, the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and the Rothschild gardens at Exbury
• exclusive holidays in Barbados, Puglia, Venice, Portugal and the St James’s Club in Antigua
• a range of exciting internships for young people in the arts world, including Waddesdon Manor
• 18th and 19th century silver, ceramics, jewellery and furniture
• paintings, watercolours and prints by Paul Sandby, Munn, Ken Howard, Cecil Beaton and others
300+ guests are expected to enjoy the champagne and cocktails at Sotheby’s and bid for lots that money cannot buy. Tickets will be priced at £50 per head.

Auction patron Loyd Grossman, broadcaster and heritage champion, said: “The United Kingdom is a world centre for art scholarship, trade and collecting. Indeed our art expertise is one of our great national assets and in order to secure these skills for future generations, it is vital to provide training and opportunity for young people. This auction represents a great opportunity for those in the Arts world to provide support for the public arts in these challenging times.”

For further information visit www.artsscholars.org

Hubaco Acquires YourSchoolUniform.com Ltd

Derbyshire-based Hubaco Ltd has acquired 100% of the share capital of www.YourSchoolUniform.com Ltd, as part of its investment strategy for the company.

This comes after Hubaco Ltd recently announced it had invested in the Peterborough-based online supplier of school wear to help fund future growth.

Hubaco Ltd is a family-run business owned and led by husband and wife team Andy Utting and Carolyn Budding.

With its headquarters in Alfreton, the company owns long-established and award winning outdoor brands including Terra Nova Equipment, Wild Country and Extremities, plus children’s outdoor gear retailer, Little Terra.

Since making an initial Investment in www.YourSchoolUniform.com Ltd last month, Hubaco has secured stock and working capital to boost customer service..

Yourschooluniform.com Ltd also plans to improve sales via a franchised network to grow schools’ business and develop initiatives to increase its successful ‘direct to parent’ business.

Plans are under-way to develop a synergy between the school uniform business and Hubaco’s existing companies.

Andy Utting, the new MD of www.YourSchoolUniform.com Ltd said: “We’re pleased with this acquisition which offers plenty of long term opportunities.

“It’s a good fit with Hubaco’s children’s business, which retails outdoor and ski wear products from high quality brands such as Spyder, Columbia, Sprayway and Jack Wolfskin.

“Terra Nova Equipment also has a number of schools’ customers, which it supplies with outdoor gear.”

Hubaco operates on a global basis, with distribution throughout Europe, America, and the Far East in countries including Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It has a strong offshore supply base in addition to its UK manufacturing facility in Alfreton.

The company is renowned for providing best in class, technology-focused products.

This approach has seen the business secure a number of accolades including four Guinness World Records for producing the lightest weight tent commercially available and international recognition through three IF design awards.

Ofsted calls on the government to support nurture groups in schools

The government's school inspectors, Ofsted, have said that the government should help schools to provide 'nurture groups' for pupils with emotional and behavioural needs. In a new report, Ofsted said the groups can make a ‘considerable difference’ and that they provide ‘substantial value’ for schools.

Nurture groups are small classes for pupils with behavioural, social or emotional difficulties. They provide an environment in schools where pupils can build trust in adults, and gain the skills they need to rejoin larger classes.

In the report, Ofsted said that nurture groups ‘significantly modified pupils’ behaviour’, and ‘improved pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural skills’ when they are well run and staff are appropriately trained. They also improved attendance and helped pupils to reintegrate into mainstream classes.

Ofsted also said that parents welcomed the changes that they saw in their children after a period attending a nurture group. One parent said, ‘he has that sparkle back again’; another commented that ‘the nurture group has simply turned him around’.

But Ofsted warned that nurture groups need more support from the government. The report concluded that the Department of Education and local authorities should help schools to provide nurture groups for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social needs.

Irene Grant, Director of the Nurture Group Network, said: "The report confirms what we've seen for a long time: that nurture groups help many vulnerable children to achieve their potential. At a time when we are all worried about the challenges facing young people, nurture groups help children overcome a difficult start in life."

Marion Bennathan, Life President of the Nurture Group Network, said: “There is a lot in the Ofsted report to encourage the Nurture Group Network in its efforts to spread knowledge of the power of nurture groups. Particularly pleasing is the repeated recognition of the way parents value the groups, so that with support they become confident in their role as parents and real partners in their child's education. This will have long-term effects on their family life and on the wider society.”

Barbara Knowles, Executive Director of the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association (SEBDA), said: “Nurture groups are a great way of helping children who are struggling to cope with mainstream classes. We need many more of them across the country, so it’s not just something that’s helps the few who are fortunate to have one in their school.”

“They also offer excellent value for money both for schools and for taxpayers”, Knowles continued, “as investing in helping children in Key Stages 1 and 2 can help head off much greater problems later on.”

Ofsted’s report follows an academic study of nurture groups in Glasgow, which found that the groups helped pupils to address emotional and behavioural needs more effectively than mainstream classes.

Ofsted’s report, ‘Supporting children with challenging behaviour through a nurture group approach’ is published on Tuesday 12 July. It is based on inspections of 29 nurture groups, in infant, first, and primary schools.

Nurture groups typically contain between eight to 12 pupils. There are around 1500 nurture groups in the UK, including 110 in Wales.

Training and support for nurture groups is provided by the Nurture Group Network: www.nurturegroups.org

Tesco announces embroidered uniform giveaway

Tesco has got together with its Uniform Embroidery Service Team to give away embroidered school uniforms to every child at two primary schools in time for the start of the new school year, come September.

As one of the first choices for mums and dads to purchase their children's school uniform, Tesco knows value for money as well as quality are important factors in selecting school uniform, which is why Tesco sells both quality items and its value range online throughout the year.

In 2010, Tesco launched its School Embroidery Service online at tesco.com/clothing which allows parents to purchase their child's uniform online throughout the year complete with their school's crest already embroidered.

The uniform embroidery service makes it easy for parents to order children's embroided schoolwear and have it delivered to their doors already embroidered. Schools and parents can register their interest for the School embroidery service by visiting www.tescoschoolembroidery.com.

Tesco have launched this school uniform competition through an app on its Facebook page.

To be in with the chance of winning a free 100% cotton 2 pack polo shirt and cotton rich sweater complete with embroidered school crests for every pupil at their child's primary school, parents can visit the Clothing at Tesco Facebook page and vote for their child's school to win.

Voting started on Monday 4th July and closes on Wednesday 13th July when the school with the highest number of votes will win the uniforms and, because Tesco know a few lucky schools (mainly in Scotland) will have broken up for the holidays or may not be around to vote and some schools may have smaller communities than others, the company will be selecting a second school at random to win too.

This year Tesco has over 80 pieces of Back to School uniform, across its Value, Core, Signature and Fairtrade range as well as more features and benefits than ever before, with superior quality.

Tesco's Value back to school uniform, along with Tesco's Core and Premium F&F Signature uniform ranges, have been rigorously tested for wear and tear to British and European Testing Standards.

The Tesco Back to School range is available year round with new styles in store in June.  A wide range that includes shirts, pique polo shirts, school trousers, school shoes, back to school shorts, skirts and pinafores is available in 500 stores and online at Tesco's website. Essential Back to School items such as shirts, polo shirts, socks and briefs will be available during the summer in 600 stores across the country, including Metro stores. The Value uniform will be available in 200 stores and online.

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National Student Housing Survey Announces 2011 Accommodation Awards

Nationwide student survey reveals top performing universities and private accommodation providers.

Independent market research agency Red Brick Research today announced the winners of the National Student Housing Survey Awards for 2011. So if you want to base your academic future on a range of factors, including how well you will be living, read on...

The National Student Housing Survey (NSHS) is an annual survey of students in higher education across the UK. The survey measures satisfaction levels in all types of accommodation and allows participating institutions to measure their performance against national and regional benchmarks. The 2011 survey attracted over 15,000 responses from more than 120 universities and colleges across the UK.

The three headline award winners for 2011 are:

Best University Halls: Lancaster University (retained)
Awarded to the institution demonstrating the highest levels of student satisfaction amongst residents.

Best Private Halls Provider: Victoria Hall Limited
Awarded to the private halls provider achieving the highest levels of satisfaction amongst residents.

Best Student Living Experience: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Awarded to the town, city or locality achieving the highest levels of student satisfaction in the private rented housing sector.

The following awards were also made:

Best Learning Environment: Lancaster University - Grizedale Townhouses
Best Individual Accommodation: Lancaster University - Grizedale Townhouses
Best Student Broadband: Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
Best Booking Experience: Lancaster University
Best Moving In Experience: Liberty Living / BRANDEAUX

The National Student Housing Survey also licenses an International Accommodation Quality Mark which recognises organisations achieving at least 90% satisfaction among international students.

The following universities and private hall providers achieved this threshold:

Victoria Hall Limited
Derwent Living
iQ Student Accommodation
University of Sheffield
Lancaster University

For further information and for lists of previous award winners, please visit http://www.nshs.co.uk/ or http://www.redbrickresearch.co.uk.

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Schools out for Summer! Now for some “me” time for teachers!

Almost by mistake (it's a long story!) The Editor of That's Education spent time as a trainer of 16 to 18 year-olds, so does have some experience of teaching, so I do know some of the stresses and strains you go through. So I am including this story because I feel it is something you might like to know about!

As pupils, large and small, across the country – from exam weary eighteen year olds to fidgety five year olds, celebrate the long awaited start of the summer holidays, they are by no means alone.

Just as elated to hear the final bell of the academic year, will be thousands of teaching staff and classroom assistants.

They will be in desperate need of some end of term TLC and where better to find this but at the peaceful and calming environment of Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire?

Weary teachers can trade a squeaky board marker or a piece of chalk for those traditionalists, for a soft fluffy robe and a massage couch!

Ragdale Hall has a varied range of spa days and spa breaks to suit every taste and pocket and award winning facilities in which to switch off and chill out in.

To find out what they can do for you please call Ragdale Hall on 01664 434831 pr visit www.ragdalehall.co.uk. Please mention That's Education when you do contact them.

And please pass this news story on That's Education to your friends and colleagues in education who you feel could benefit from such a personal pampering session and a nice, well-deserved spot of "me" time!

Kilmarnock College to boost financial reporting and eliminate duplication of effort with system from Advanced Business Solutions

Kilmarnock College, a Further Education (FE) college based in East Ayrshire, Scotland, will transform its efficiency levels and improve financial control by implementing a financial management system from Advanced Business Solutions (ABS). The new system, which has integrated electronic workflow and document imaging functionality, will enhance the reporting and accessibility of financial information across the college and reduce administration time through less re-keying of data. The planned go-live is August 2011.

Kilmarnock College required a flexible and scalable financial management solution to replace its restrictive accounting system and to significantly reduce the time spent on invoice registration, reconciliation and authorisation. Following a competitive tender, Kilmarnock College chose ABS’ system due to its strength in reporting, advanced functionality and tight integration qualities.

Michael Breen, Director of Finance at Kilmarnock College, explains, “We recognised that our existing finance system was inefficient and no longer fit for purpose. Through a very robust competitive tendering process we were extremely impressed by the quality of responses we received however ABS stood out at each stage. It was apparent that ABS fully understood our business needs and that its system was ideally suited to fulfill all of our key requirements whilst representing good value for money.”

Breen continues, “ABS also submitted a very thorough and methodical project plan which gave us the reassurance that they had the capabilities and experience of implementing integrated systems to very tight timescales.”

ABS’ integrated software solution will streamline Kilmarnock College’s financial processes and significantly improve the visibility of financial information, resulting in improved decision making whilst ensuring greater financial control. In addition, by seamlessly linking the College’s student records and tracking system with ABS’ financial management system, it will be quicker and easier for the College to extract financial information and tailor reports to its specific needs.

Breen comments, “By automating our financial processes ABS’ system will significantly improve efficiencies within the finance department. The ABS solution will remove unnecessary duplication of effort as we will no longer have to spend time re-keying data from our student records and tracking system. In addition the finance team will no longer be required to manipulate financial data into Excel spreadsheets to provide management reports. This will eliminate the opportunity for associated data entry errors.”

Breen continues, “The system’s advanced reporting capabilities will also allow us to easily interpret more meaningful financial information in greater detail than present, while enabling the closer monitoring of financial plans and project management costs, further improving financial control.”

Furthermore, using the integrated document imaging functionality (powered by Version One’s technology), inbound paper invoices will be scanned, indexed and then linked to relevant ledger in the finance system. Invoices with approved purchase orders will be automatically matched and paid. Those requiring circulation will be electronically routed to the appropriate staff for approval without requiring manual intervention, eliminating the time-consuming and costly circulation of 8,000 paper invoices every year.

Breen adds, “By eliminating manually-intensive processes we will save significant amounts of staff time. The finance team will also be freed-up to concentrate on analysing financial data instead of expending all of their efforts creating information.”

www.kilmarnock.ac.uk

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Big Book Challenge For Bookworms During School Holidays!

With the school holidays fast approaching, a special reading challenge for young bookworms is being launched in June in aid of The Children's Trust.

Over the next three months, children of all ages are invited to take part in the Big Book Challenge. The aim is to encourage children to read as many books as possible during their summer break, and ask friends and family to sponsor them to raise money for The Children's Trust, a national charity which supports some of the UK's most profoundly disabled children.

No matter how old, everyone loves a good story. It's a great opportunity for all the family to get involved. The children at the Trust will be joining in too with storytelling evenings and activities. Every penny raised will make a positive difference to the lives of the children and families that The Children's Trust supports.

Jacqueline Wilson, award-winning children's author who is supporting the special challenge, said: "I've been a bookworm since I was six years old. Books delight, entertain and inform - they're the most magical way of enriching our lives. It's also great fun discovering other worlds and meeting wonderful characters within the pages of a book. I hope children will really enjoy taking part in this challenge - and that a lot of money is raised to support the work of The Children's Trust."

Everyone who takes part will receive a certificate and those who raise over £50 in sponsorship will receive a free copy of 'The Bestest Ever Bear' poetry book.

For more information and to get started go to www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/bigbookchallenge or call Emma on 01737 365019.

FACTFILE:
The Children's Trust, Tadworth, is a national charity providing care, education and therapy for children with multiple disabilities and complex health needs, and rehabilitation services to children with an acquired brain injury. The Trust runs the UK's largest residential rehabilitation centre for paediatric acquired brain injury and has an on-site special school, The School for Profound Education (formerly St Margaret's), which publishes The Profound Education Curriculum for children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

For further information please www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk