Hertfordshire school bug-eyed with wonder at installation of living, breathing Bug Storeys Habitat News
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ver 300 primary school children have built Hertfordshire’s first interactive Bug Storeys Habitat, a brilliant new outdoor wildlife habitat and interactive study centre that promotes conservation, education and wildlife.
Joined by Justin Donovan, Deputy Director of Education, Hertfordshire County Council, the young pupils from Arnett Hills Junior Mixed & Infant School in Rickmansworth were thrilled to take an active role in the installation.
With expert Bug Rangers Michelle and Luke, the children went on several bug hunts to discover mini-
beast residents to start populating the various sections they had built, and watched as the Bug Storeys Habitat grew from storey to storey. From bees to butterflies, newts to hedgehogs and everything in between, the Bug Storeys Habitat will enable teachers, parents and pupils at the school to work together as a community to return pollinators, natural pesticides and declining species to their environment, on their school grounds.
Head teacher Traci Ali said working with the Bug Storeys team had been a fantastic experience: “So many of the children are fascinated by mini-
beasts and the Bug Storeys Habitat is an ideal way to literally ‘bring alive’ part of the science curriculum and observe and understand the importance of the tiniest creatures in the grand scheme of things. Bug Storeys will provide the children with an accessible way of understanding the significant role mini-beasts play in terms of ecology, environment and our planet’s future. We can’t wait to get started!”
Justin Donovan, Deputy Director of Education, Hertfordshire Council was delighted to meet the children: “It’s wonderful to see an entire school community come together in support of the great outdoors. It’s so important for young people in Hertfordshire to build and develop an interest in the natural world on their doorstep.”
Sandra Thompson, founder of Bug Storeys and Rickmansworth resident, welcomed the excitement from teachers and children alike. “We’re delighted that this is the first of many Bug Storeys in the county. We’re really proud of the teaching resources schools receive as part of this experience. They enable teachers to build on the work we start. We look forward to the children helping some of the large conservation charities with the information they will provide about insect populations.” The Bug Storeys team will return in three months to see how the wildlife ‘residents’ have settled in!
Bug Storeys launch in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and London in October 2013. Nationwide from Spring 2014. The next Bug Storeys Habitat is due for installation in Middlesex in October.
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www.bugstoreys.com
Sarah Shaw talks to Education Today about interim executives in the Education sector S
arah, can you tell us a bit about your background and work?
I’m a Partner in the Education Practice at Odgers Interim. We provide a comprehensive interim service in education management and children’s sectors, including higher and further education institutions, educational charities, awarding bodies, local authorities, the Department for Education and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, as well as independent schools, training providers, the welfare to work sector, learned societies and institutes.
You work across the Education sector so what’s your view of it in relation to your work?
The sector as a whole has evolved hugely in the last few years and in many ways it now mirrors the private sector in terms of its commerciality, targets and need to tap into the right talent. This demands a new way of thinking which has been embraced by many but also overlooked by some. The sector is – of course – being driven by a wide and varied agenda that encompasses new policies, curriculum and initiatives as well as massive changes to funding and more emphasis being placed on an improved student experience. All of this – along with the ongoing presence of redundancy and restructuring – has meant that forward thinking and innovative institutions are now constantly analysing what needs doing and being realistic if the right skills aren’t available in-house to fulfil a specific need.
What do you think are the main challenges? The challenges vary depending on the area but let me firstly tackle two specific examples; in Further Education, the changes in the funding methodology for young people and adult learning which have come in for this academic year are having a big impact; whilst in Higher Education, they are still dealing with the ongoing legacy of student fees which have affected student applications - although I‘m pleased to
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see that there are indications numbers have returned to nearer the figures of the years before. On a more general note, income generation and diversification are now central to all institutions as public funding is both uncertain and reducing. As a result, adapting to this new status quo and offsetting the impact of budget cuts is critical for long-term success.
The use of interims can be a sensitive issue - especially when so many education professionals have been made redundant - so what are your main considerations? Staff redundancies are sadly now the norm so it can – quite rightly - be difficult to justify taking on new staff to the unions. However, getting on board results-driven individuals, who are used to being parachuted into challenging situations, can be a sensible and – more importantly - cost effective option.
‘Fit’ between client and interim is another key consideration as both need to share the same goals so the executive can perform better by quickly gaining a good understanding of the institution’s culture and aspirations. But, on the flip side, our experience has shown that the interim also needs to have the right gravitas and experience in order to command respect internally, so he - or she - can make an impact and a positive difference from the very beginning.
The kinds of skills most in demand now? Again, it really depends on what part of the sector you’re talking about but the kinds of skills that are most in demand from our FE clients are for interims who can lead on income generation, such as developing innovative employer partnerships that drive up revenue from the private sector rather than relying on the Skills Funding Agency and improving and increasing employer engagement, as well as curriculum development and maintaining quality standards. There are also many other non-academic roles that rapidly add value in this complex and changing environment, for example; HR,
www.education-today.co.uk
Finance, IT, Estates and Facilities Management, Marketing and Communications, Student Recruitment, Academic Partnerships and Registry Service. We are also seeing more placements for academic services such as roles in Senior Management Teams and Executive Boards right through to Deans, Vice Principals and Heads of Department.
Finally, where do you think demand is heading?
I think demand will only get stronger from across the whole Education sector - for both academic and non-academic roles. This is because more and more people are now realising the tangible benefits interim executives can deliver in these unprecedented times of organisational change and uncertainty. They offer an external, apolitical and objective viewpoint which can bring innovative thinking and fresh ideas that can make all the difference and leave a valuable, lasting legacy.
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www.odgersinterim.com October 2013
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