Tag Archives: schools

Education, Midlands News, News

Young engineers hit the headlines with Design & Make triumph

Three schools from the Black Country and Warwickshire have been crowned as the main winners at one of the biggest independent manufacturing-education events in the UK.

Ernesford Grange Community Academy, Great Wyrley Academy and WMG Academy for Young Engineers Coventry beat off competition from five other rivals to take the Manufacturing, Innovation and Efficiency titles respectively at the Design & Make Challenge 2022.

The trio were joined on the podium by Alcester Grammar School, who claimed the first ever ‘Communications’ prize for its use of social media in promoting the day.

Organised by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), more than 35 students swapped their daily lessons for the chance to test out their design, engineering, prototyping and communication skills at the all-day event held at WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Solihull.

Teams of four Year 11 and Year 12 pupils were set the challenge of using basic materials and tools to make a vehicle that could be propelled by a falling weight. They tested their devices, modified them and then raced them on a purpose-built 7.5m long track to see which one would complete the distance in the fastest possible time – a race that WMG Academy Coventry won in just 3.64 seconds.

“Now, more than ever, we need young people to choose engineering and manufacturing as a career and we’re not going to change perceptions by sitting on our hands, doing nothing,” explained Austin Owens, founder of Grove Design (Pembridge) Ltd and Co-Chair of the Manufacturing Assembly Network.

“This was a comeback for the Design & Make Challenge after a Covid-19 enforced break and we were delighted to see the appetite to take part was still there. I have to say the task was the hardest yet and the young people really embraced it.”

He went on to add: “The atmosphere in the room was amazing and I’m convinced we’ve seen some of the engineers of the future here, engineers that will go on and improve the way we live for the better.”

Ernesford Grange Community Academy, Great Wyrley Academy and WMG Academy Coventry all received a 3D printer for their efforts.

This latest technology was kindly donated by 3DPRINTUK, who are specialists in low volume production using state-of-the-art powder bed fusion 3D printing systems with polymer materials.

Nick Allen, Managing Director of 3DPRINTUK, commented: “We are both proud and delighted to sponsor the Design & Make Challenge 2022.

“The competition is a great fit for us. By donating 3D printers to the winners, it allows the next generation of engineers and manufacturers to learn in a hands-on way about the advantages – and disadvantages – of 3D printing for any given application. It’s something we are passionate about both now and for the future.”

Joining Alcester Grammar School, Ernesford Grange Community Academy, Great Wyrley Academy and WMG Academy Coventry at the Design & Make day were Gospel Oak School, Lawrence Sheriff School, Southam College and WMG Academy Solihull.

Peter Davies, Chief Executive of James Lister & Sons and Co-Chair of the Manufacturing Assembly Network, added his support: “The day is all about bringing sound design and engineering principles to the fore to solve a topical industrial issue, with young people encouraged to work together to develop innovative designs and then build a product they can test against their peers.

“Apprentices from MAN companies and graduates from WMG at the University of Warwick, were working with the groups and talking about their own experiences following a career in manufacturing and some of the skills they may need to realise their ambition.

“All the feedback we received was positive, which excites us about doing it again next year. We now urge other manufacturers to look at how they can play a role in helping promote our sector to young people.”

Dr Mark Swift, Head of SME Programmes at WMG at the University of Warwick, concluded: “Design & Make is a wonderful example of how to inspire future engineers – making it real and helping to bridge the skills gap, particularly in small manufacturing and engineering businesses.

“SMEs are the lifeblood of manufacturing in the UK, and they offer a wonderful, rich, challenging and rewarding destination for the next generation of engineers. They get access to all parts of the business, from working with customers and suppliers to the management team and gaining experience on the shop floor – all of this will accelerate their future career.”

About the Manufacturing Assembly Network

Formed in 2006, The Manufacturing Assembly Network is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, Nemco and PP Control & Automation.

The eight sub-contract manufacturers and specialist engineering design agency form a unique global collective that works together to share best practice and secure contracts for UK industry.

It is the third year that the group has held the Design & Make Challenge and earlier competitions have resulted in 352 hours of hands-on manufacturing experience for young people, seven MAN company visits completed by schools and over £25,000 of press coverage to raise the profile of the sector.

News

Schools wanted as Design & Make challenge returns to raise manufacturing’s profile with young people

One of the UK’s leading independent events for engaging young people in engineering is returning for the first time since Covid-19 struck.

The Design & Make Challenge, which is organised by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), will take place on July 12th at the WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Solihull and is on the hunt for additional schools to take part.

Nearly forty Year 11 and Year 12 students from nine schools have already added their names to the list to win the main title and a selection of industry prizes.

The concept is simple; one day, one brief, but many possible outcomes. Students are challenged with designing and making a mechanical device (details revealed on the day) using just basic tools and materials.

They’re offered support from apprentices and engineers from the nine MAN companies and are encouraged to develop their ideas through trial and analysis.

The devices are then tested by a suitably qualified panel of engineers, with prizes awarded to the schools under three different categories – Efficiency, Innovation and Manufacturing.

“Manufacturing has long been the poor relation of career choices and we have to do something to change that and prove to young people that industry is a great path – full of innovation and technology,” explained Austin Owen, owner of Grove Design and one of the main driving forces behind the day.

“That’s why the nine firms that make up MAN decided to stop waiting for other people to act and came together to create the Design & Make Challenge in 2018 as the best possible way of engaging with Year 11 and Year 12 students considering their options.”

He went on to add: “The day is all about bringing sound engineering principles to the fore to solve a topical industrial issue, with young people encouraged to work together to innovate designs and then build a product they can test against their peers.

“Engineers from member companies will be working with the groups and talking about their own experiences following a career in manufacturing and some of the skills they may need to realise their ambition.”

Formed in 2006, The Manufacturing Assembly Network is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, KimberMills International, Muller Holdings, Nemco and PP Control & Automation.

The eight sub-contract manufacturers and specialist engineering design agency form a unique global collective that works together to share best practice and secure contracts for UK industry.

It is the third year that the group has held the Design & Make Challenge and earlier competitions have resulted in 352 hours of hands-on manufacturing experience for young people, seven MAN company visits completed by schools and over £25,000 of press coverage to raise the profile of the sector.

Austin went on to add: “Nine teams have already signed up for this year’s competition, including Alcester Grammar, Gospel Oak, Great Wyrley, John Taylor, Lawrence Sheriff, North Leamington, Southam College and WMG Academy for Young Engineers.

“We have spaces left for two more teams, so it would be great if any schools, who may be looking for an external STEM challenge, get in touch to take part. This will mean we’ll have over 45 students and our biggest ever Challenge.”

Charity & CSR, Education, News

UK’s largest composite decking brand launches national recycling competition for schools

Following its huge success in 2021, the UK’s largest brand of sustainable composite decking and cladding, Composite Prime has launched it’s school recycling programme, ‘Message in a Bottle Top’. 

The nation’s schools are being called upon to highlight the significant impact plastic waste has on the environment by collecting and transforming plastic bottle tops into life-sized art murals and sculptures. The winning school will receive a playground makeover worth £5,000 plus eco-friendly Composite Prime decking. 

Composite Prime director, Charles Taylor commented: “With everything from giant jellyfish to a great white shark, the sculptures created by schools up and down the country were incredibly creative and showcased a huge amount of plastic waste. The response to the 2021 campaign was incredible, it saw 785 schools, 845 teachers, 110,432 children and 194,360 parents collect over 90,000 bottle tops.”

Built in line with the national curriculum and fulfilling learning objectives across art and design, science, maths and citizenship, the Message in a Bottle Top campaign also supports step 4 of the Ecoschools’ seven step programme. The initiative provides teachers and support staff with associated learning resources; including lesson plans, presentations, artist top tips and activity worksheets to complete in class and at home. 

Charles continued: “Our Message in a Bottle Top campaign has been created specifically to target younger generations and Composite Prime is extremely proud to play a small part in educating the next generation about sustainability. We can’t wait to see the engagement with the campaign this year, and the incredible entries we’re hoping to receive.”

Working alongside We are Futures, who run The National Schools Partnership (NSP), the Message in a Bottle Top campaign is a cross curricular programme which inspires key stage one and two pupils to collect and repurpose their own bottle tops into thought-provoking art, showcasing the creatures they hope to protect from plastic pollution.

All competition entries submitted by schools, ahead of the deadline on 20 May 2022, will be independently judged by Composite Prime and the winning school will receive a playground makeover worth £5,000. The top ten schools will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork in an online exhibition and two runners up will receive tablets worth more than £100. 

Charles Taylor added: “We want to demonstrate to children that there are a variety of creative ways to approach environmental sustainability. In the same way these fantastic sculptures are produced from plastic bottle tops, our products are produced from recycled materials; reducing the amount of plastic entering natural ecosystems along the way. We hope that schools across the country feel that the programme shares a very important environmental message with young people about wildlife and the effects plastic waste has on it.” 

Composite Prime creates eco-friendly and socially responsible decking and cladding products, made using recycled plastic and FSC® certified oak wood flour. Each square metre of composite decking contains the equivalent of more than 3,000 plastic bottle caps or 280 plastic bottles. In the seven years of operation the brand has saved the equivalent of 176 million plastic milk bottles from landfill and over 1.8 billion bottle top caps.

Education News, News

Yorkshire-based edtech startup shapes the future of physical activity in UK schools

An education technology firm based in Doncaster is shaping the mental and physical wellbeing of school pupils across the UK with 100 schools expected to sign up in the first year.

Myphizz is an app designed to encourage the mass participation of physical activity in both primary and secondary schools. Using a live leaderboard, children have the ability to set their own imaginative and creative challenges in classrooms, playgrounds or at home and compare results both across their school and nationally. Teachers also have access to a functional control dashboard which measures individual pupils’ activity levels. 

By drawing on the expertise of schools, the app gives pupils control over their own physical activity and supplements school curriculums. The app also works with a growing number of inspirational role models to encourage children to become more active. 

One of those role models is British Olympic sprinter, Adam Gemili. He said: “The mental and physical wellbeing of children has never been more crucial; with lockdown restrictions having a negative impact on activity levels, many children are now sadly not meeting the recommended level of exercise. 

“myphizz gives children autonomy and empowers them to manage their own levels of physical activity through choosing exactly the types of exercise they enjoy. Whether they’re completely new to physical activity and enjoy inventing their own fun and wacky physical challenges, or they’re an aspiring athlete!”

The app was created by a group of four ex teachers who wanted to encourage children to engage in a more active, healthier and happier lifestyle. Two full time software developers have worked with the founders to employ the latest programming techniques to realise the initial concept of myphizz. The technology, which runs through secure schools networks and is only visible to school communities, can be accessed via PC, tablets or mobile phones.

Anthony McBride, a founder of myphizz, said: “A key part of the myphizz app has been building on our positive relationships with schools that we have through our other projects. It’s crucial that we ensure inclusivity for pupils, while providing schools with a sustainable way of offering more creative opportunities for physical activity. 

“With schools still being impacted by the pandemic and children potentially missing out on physical activity whilst isolating at home, myphizz provides a way for schools to continue communicating and engaging pupils in exercise whilst not in the school setting. It’s an absolute honour to have the opportunity to build a lasting impact on the health of our young people and encourage them to get involved in sport.”

Siobhan Roe, teacher at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Halifax who’s used the app, added: “myphizz has been a huge hit amongst our year three pupils – there’s been such a buzz in the classroom with every single pupil involved in creating, sharing and accomplishing activities. The children have rushed home to tell their parents all about their ‘phizzes’ and we can’t wait to see the rest of school enjoy it.

“The platform is so easy to use and I’ve found the images to describe the ‘phizzes’ really useful as it helps a lot of the children with their reading and spellings as they compare words and pictures. The mix of activities that can be set is incredible – we’ve used myphizz for practicing our times tables as well as challenging each other to do as many press-ups as possible!”

Over the next five years, myphizz hopes to have signed up 700 schools and become an instantly recognisable name in education. The business also plans to solidify the link between elite sporting organisations and schools to scout the next generation of talented athletes, and have made a positive impact on the lives of young people across the UK.

For more information, please visit myphizz.com.

News

Students go for gold at ‘Trade Olympics’ and skills events with top industrial supplier

STUDENTS competed in a Trade Olympics and exhibition driven by a leading industrial supplier.

Deeside and Rhyl-based GE Tools held events in partnership with Grwp Llandrillo Menai and Coleg Cambria.

Coleg Llandrillo Rhyl saw dozens of Construction and Engineering learners battle for medals in plumbing, carpentry and joinery, brickwork, motor vehicle services, vehicle body repair and fabrication and welding, while also welcoming sector businesses on-site.

The previous evening, Coleg Cambria Deeside hosted an open event, attended by GE Tools and manufacturers and suppliers from across the area.

Chris Owen, Managing Director of GE Tools, said the “incredible response” from attendees at both institutions bodes well for the future of these trades in North Wales and beyond.

“We had two brilliant days with the colleges and there was a fantastic atmosphere among the learners and industry representatives,” said Chris.

“Across both campuses we had an incredible response, with hundreds of people taking part and attending, so we thank them for their support.”

He added: “The main aim of the Trade Olympics was to inspire confidence that this is a strong sector with many career opportunities, and I think the learners embraced that.

“We are fortunate to have two of the best colleges in the country on our doorstep, with skilled lecturers and outstanding facilities, so for the students there is no better platform for them to go on and be successful.”

Ian Hogg, Assistant Principal at Coleg Cambria’s Institute of Technology and Site Lead at Deeside, echoed those words.

He said: “We felt it would be great for potential new students to see a range of quality tools, equipment and safety wear used by industry on display, so we thank Chris and the team for bringing everything together.

“It created a real buzz on the evening for all the visitors, parents and students alike; there was also positive feedback from the manufacturers and suppliers, who plan to get more involved in the future with our students.

“They suggested safety talks and training on the use of equipment as just two examples of how they could engage our learners. Thanks again to GE Tools for your continued support.”

Meanwhile, Coleg Llandrillo say the Trade Olympics demonstrated the ability and passion of their students in a pressure situation.

“They really enjoyed themselves and gained much needed experience in a competitive environment, giving them the confidence to go forward and enter Welsh, national and international competitions,” said Salah Berdouk, the college’s Assistant Principal for Computing and Creative Industries, Construction and Engineering.

“We want them to get excited about the career choice they have made and become proud of their achievements.

“Thanks again to GE Tools for their part in a fantastic day, and for generously supplying prizes for the winners and everyone who took part.”

For more information on GE Tools, visit www.getools.co.uk or contact sales@getools.co.uk.

Alternatively, call 01244 836968 and follow them on social media at @getools.

Construction, News

Director says goodbye to top North Wales industrial supplier after 30 years

ONE of the driving forces behind a leading industrial supplier says goodbye this week after more than 30 years with the business.

GE Tools director Neil Coleclough joined the Rhyl and Deeside-based company in 1988 and has helped oversee a period of sustained growth

The 59 year-old plans to spend more time with wife Christine and family, pursuing hobbies including photography, walking and yoga.

Neil follows GE Tools founder Gordon Evans into retirement and is confident new managing director Chris Owen – who has more than 20 years’ experience with the organisation – will lead them to an even brighter future.

“It is strange to be leaving after a third of a century but it’s the right time and the company is in safe hands,” he said.

“We have always had an incredible team with a positive, hard-working attitude and I am confident they will continue to go from strength to strength.

“I’ll miss all of them, and our fantastic customers, but after so many years here and out on the road I look forward to getting my camera out and actually stopping and enjoying some of the places I’ve driven past over the last three decades!”

Born in Blackley, Manchester, Neil was raised in Bangor and was working in a Llandudno hotel when he met Christine in 1980.

The unsociable hours saw him switch to Mochdre-based sweeper machine manufacturers Danline Ltd, where he learnt the value of diligence and high standards from esteemed colleague, Maurice Tadman.

Rising to the role of production controller, Neil later moved to Barrow Hepburn Equipment in Deiniolen, where a chance meeting with Gordon Evans – then working as a sales director – would lead to him taking the leap and helping establish GE Tools.

“Things were so different back then, everything was paper-based and when the fax machine arrived in the office it blew everyone’s minds,” said Neil.

“Gordon was representing a company we worked with and after speaking on numerous occasions we identified a gap in the market and saw the potential in launching a new business supplying tools to industry.

“He did so, and I soon joined him before we later became equal partners and took it forward.”

GE Tools has always been at the forefront of advances in technology, notably ecommerce, which they capitalised on immediately.

“We were selling online before many of the global giants you see today,” said Neil.

“From Vale Road we grew and grew, first regionally and then alongside some of the biggest names in the trade.

“Most of my focus was on customer development, and the customer has always been at the centre of my thinking – that has never changed.

“We were successful in bringing onboard some very significant accounts that included Pilkington Special Glass, Ferodo, Wylfa and Trawsfynydd power stations and Hotpoint, to name but a few.

“And from there we have continued to deliver, innovating and opening a base in Deeside to extend our footprint into the North West – I could not be more proud of what we have achieved together.”

He added: “There have been so many highlights and of course challenges; the Coronavirus pandemic has been tough for everyone, but we diversified and managed to remain profitable throughout.

“In fact, the name GE Tools doesn’t begin to describe what we do. From PPE to school uniforms and cutting-edge machinery and equipment from international brands such as Gedore, Makita and Sandvik, we do so much more.

“We have built a team of dedicated, long-serving employees who share the company’s vision. They are without doubt our biggest strength, and I can’t wait to watch them take GE Tools to even greater heights.”

For more information, visit www.getools.co.uk or contact salesdesk@getools.co.uk. 

News

North Wales tool business powering growth after 30 years in the trade

A LEADING industrial supplier is powering its way to future growth after more than 30 years in business.

GE Tools is one of the largest independent distributors of tools, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), hygiene products and personalised workwear in North Wales.

Based in Deeside and Rhyl, the company is recruiting new staff to meet demand and revamping its digital and web presence having forged partnerships with top international brands such as Gedore, Makita, Sandvik, Portwest, Ambersil and SC Johnson.

A proactive member of the Troy Group – number one in the UK for industrial engineering supplies – GE Tools has grown year on year since being launched in 1988.

However, they have never experienced a period like this one, and attributed the firm’s resilience and growth to the hard work and dedication of their workforce.

Having taken “rapid action” to meet the challenges brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic last Spring, Director Chris Owen (pictured) said: “We recognised straight away that we needed to evolve and adapt to meet changing customer needs, and prioritised ‘mission critical’ stocks as early as March last year.

“Throughout Covid we have managed to continue supplying our customers and supported schools and frontline workers with vital PPE, and as the country begins to emerge from restrictions, we are in a strong position moving forward.”

He added: “Like most companies, we were in uncharted territory, but the existing relationships we had with our customers and supply chain partners enabled us to keep going.

“Customer service is what really sets us apart; we care about these long-standing partnerships and when they needed us, we were there. That goes both ways, which is why we are coming out of this pandemic with a clear vision of how we want to grow further in the future.”

With a dedicated team of experienced professionals across the two sites, GE Tools operates in numerous sectors including manufacturing, food services, education, defence, construction, and renewable energy.

They distribute to clients all over the world and have expanded their offering to include personalised ordering portals, qualified technical support and guidance, dedicated account managers, and vendor managed inventories.

Due to increased demand across Wales and the North West for their same/next day delivery service, fellow Director Neil Coleclough says they will be taking on additional staff this summer.

“The last 15-16 months have given us the opportunity to reflect on what we do, what we want to achieve and what really matters to us as a business,” he said.

“And, ultimately, how we can best serve new customers and those who have been with us on this journey over the last three decades and more.

“We’ve gone from selling tools – which is still a key part of what we do – to adding a lot of value through our expertise and by going the extra mile with a more personalised service on both the retail and distribution sides.”

General Manager Steven Evans, whose father Gordon founded the business, added: “Given our position on the border of North Wales and Cheshire there is a lot of scope to grow even further and target other sectors, which is something we are aiming for this year.

“The pandemic has shown us all that you have to be able to adapt and learn from your environment. There was no rehearsal for the challenges of the Coronavirus, but we have taken a lot from it and, if anything, the existing relationships we have went from strength to strength, especially with schools, colleges, and businesses.

“We are very much part of the community and were pleased to be able to help them when they needed it most. Everyone at GE Tools is proud of that and looking forward to seeing what the next chapter in our story looks like.”

For more information, visit www.getools.co.uk or contact salesdesk@getools.co.uk. Alternatively, call 01745 361010 and follow them on social media at @getools.

Education, News

Planning Learning Spaces “could fundamentally rethink space utilisation in the classroom”

Trumpington Park Primary School, part of Cambridge Primary Education Trust, has signed up to an international project that could fundamentally rethink space utilisation in the classroom.

Planning Learning Spaces was published in October 2019 as a guide for anyone involved in the planning and design of learning environments. The book brought together educationalists and innovative school architects from all over the world to pool their collective expertise and inspire the design of more intelligent learning spaces.

To support this, Planning Learning Spaces in Practice was launched to help schools translate their educational vision into learning space design principles, enabling them to create new, or refurbish existing, spaces that actively support their learning goals. Schools are guided through a reflective process, building the link between curriculum and design via a structured framework. Focusing on the school’s vision, values and ethos, the process helps translate learning behaviours and activities into design principles.

Trumpington Park Primary School was invited to participate in the global pilot of this Planning Learning Spaces in Practice project. Offering a new approach to learning space design, the Planning Learning Spaces team is working with the Cambridge school to help colleagues align their physical learning environments with their educational vision, in a way that supports the children’s personalised and independent learning.

The school was heralded as state-of-the art when it opened its doors in September 2017. Entering the central hall of the school, which opens onto the galleried double-height ICT and library resource centre, it is easy to see why. However, the staff were still presented with the inevitable standardised classrooms (measuring approximately 55m2 for up to 30 children) in which to work, and school leaders were looking for innovative and cost-effective ways to transform these standard-issue rooms into inspirational learning environments.

One advantage to a new school like Trumpington Park Primary is that not all classrooms are in use for the first few years, so by joining the Planning Learning Spaces in Practice pilot project the school has the opportunity to develop its learning spaces in alignment with its educational vision. Meetings and workshops were held with the Planning Learning Spaces team to define the school’s vision, values, ethos and current practice. The school has then used the Planning Learning Spaces Design Framework to develop what it wants to do next, looking at every aspect of school life, and how this relates to the design of learning spaces.

“We started from the heart of our ethos and our values, and looked at those in terms of what we wanted to achieve in our teaching and learning, but then assessed the constraints of the current classrooms we have in being able to get that vision to work,” said Mel Shute, Headteacher at Trumpington Park Primary School. “Whilst we want to emphasise collaboration and ownership of learning, this can sometimes feel restricted by the furniture and fixed features of a space and make it harder for children to be able to do some of the things we feel are fundamental in their learning. From there, we have looked at different models to enable children to be able to work in different ways in that space.”

With social distancing in place, Mel revealed that “children have been more separated than we would want, bearing in mind that one of our key values is collaboration, and one of the key drivers of the space”, but she is focused on the expected longer-term impact: “What we anticipate, and what we have seen from small groups of children using the space at this time, is being able to have a high level of flexibility around the organisation of a space will have a huge impact on the way in which teaching and learning happens there. Now we are looking at all the different learning that can happen in that space in very different ways, and teaching children how they can have an impact on their independence and ownership within that space. Having the children as a very central part of the classroom environment will, I believe, make a significant difference to their overall development.”

She added: “You look at a classroom and you take it as it is, particularly in a new build. This project has really forced our hand to look at that space in a very different way, go in with a different pair of glasses, and this has been refreshing.”

Terry White, Project Director and co-author of Planning Learning Spaces, explained the philosophy behind the overall project. “We know the impact learning environments have on educational outcomes, yet the majority of school classrooms are over 40 years old and even new builds fail to learn the lessons of research like The Clever Classrooms report,” he said. “The project involves spending time engaging with the teachers to help the school effectively recreate their learning spaces so that they align with their vision for learning and teaching. We have developed a structured framework that enables the school to reimagine their future environments for learning.”

The Planning Learning Spaces Design Framework builds consensus throughout the teaching staff and the wider school community to support sustained change, empowering schools to be creators of a new, ongoing relationship between pedagogy and space. UK Lead Project Facilitator Bhavini Pandya works with key staff and students throughout the process to ensure all views are accounted for, and that the newly-designed spaces can be used as effectively as possible for all learning opportunities. As a former teacher herself, Bhavini understands the clear link between pedagogy and space and how this can lead to better learning outcomes.

Professor Peter Barrett, author of the Clever Classrooms report, is monitoring the project to see how the learning outcomes of pupils are affected by this ‘hands on’ approach to creating their own learning environments. “The Planning Learning Spaces approach represents common sense about the positive articulation of spaces and pedagogy,” he said. “Delivering a methodology that makes this connection explicit, and ultimately driven by educational imperatives, is a really important potential contribution and I look forward to being involved in the rigorous assessment of outputs from this project.”

The Planning Learning Spaces in Practice process is suitable for schools looking to repurpose old spaces, or for those designing new buildings, and helps to ensure a successful transition into these purpose-designed learning spaces.

Education, News

Events Company Announces New Line of Mobile Classrooms to Help Education Setups

Event business Versatile has recently announced a new line of mobile classroom options that will be available alongside their specialist COVID-19 compliant range.

At the moment, many schools and universities are operating a reduced timetable, and even where some students have been encouraged to return, many are continuing to learn and work from home.

However, with students of all ages required to return to the classroom this September as per legal requirement, schools and educational institutions are understandably concerned about the available space to create “bubbles” and practice social distancing.

Versatile’s new range of mobile classrooms will give schools extra space to create the recommended bubbles of up to eight pupils while ensuring that the welfare of all students and staff is correctly safeguarded.

Versatile’s Managing Director Tim Cook had this to say, “It’s understandable that many schools are concerned about available space, and while it might not be such a big concern at the moment, come September all students will return, and the logistics of social distancing may make things very tough.”

Tim continues, “Throughout this crisis, we’ve tried to do everything we can to protect businesses and local communities with our COVID-19 range. By introducing mobile classrooms, we hope to further that commitment, by helping get pupils and teachers back into the classroom to make up for lost time. What’s more, there’s no minimum term contract and therefore minimal risk with the changeable climate.”

He goes on to say, “All the structures we create are compliant with health and safety regulations already. So, being Covid-19 secure is second nature to us – we have a wide range of compliant solutions available that are quick and easy to deploy.”