News
Poor financial systems are “biggest barrier” to academy
UK schools embrace technology as pace of evolution increases
KYOCERA Document Solutions, one of the world’s leading document solutions companies, has announced the results of its third annual Education Technology report. According to the survey of 350 teachers and over 1,000 students, technology continues to be seen as a differentiator in schools, colleges and universities across the UK. Almost two thirds of respondents (62%) felt that their organisation’s investment in technology helped them to stand out from the crowd. This differentiation is important, especially where educational institutions often have to compete for pupils. Despite making for encouraging reading for those seeking to increase the pace of technological evolution in the UK education sector, these findings actually reveal very little change since last year’s survey. Investment in technology is a huge part of education in an increasingly digital world, and something that can clearly help schools and universities, yet the implication is that teachers and students need to see more significant advancements to increase their standing in relation to other schools. According to Eddie Ginja, Head of Technology and Innovation, KYOCERA Document Solutions UK Ltd “The education sector is facing a number of challenges and changes, including a shortage of teachers, insufficient budgets and curriculum alterations. It’s encouraging to see emerging technologies and processes being implemented which can help to alleviate these strains and enable schools to keep up with the fast-paced digital revolution.”
www.kyocera.co.uk
Inadequate financial systems are holding academies back and are becoming a barrier to conversion, new research has found.
A study by HCSS Education, a leading education finance specialist, found that one of the biggest challenges academies faced when converting came from using existing finance management systems that were not fit for purpose. 49% of academies cited this as the biggest conversion challenge, over dealing with cash flow issues (10%), managing expectations and worries of employees (21%) and the recruitment of new staff, such as a chief financial officer (10%). When academy leaders were asked what they disliked about their current financial accounting system, 52% said it was difficult to get the data and reports that they need, 30% said it was overly complex and difficult to use and 25% said it was not designed with an education establishment in mind. The report found that 65% of academies decided to convert to gain greater control over finances. However, the autonomy presented to academies carries an increased responsibility, making it no surprise that the same research also found that actually having complete control over finances was a main concern facing academy leaders in their role (34%).
The survey was conducted as part of HCSS Education’s Academy Futures report, which takes an insightful look into how the education landscape is changing and the impact the rise of academies is having on both teachers and parents. It explores the barriers to conversion, the challenges schools may face when they first convert, and how these issues can be addressed. Howard Jackson, head of education and founder of HCSS Education, said: “Despite the benefits often associated with academy conversion, such as more freedom over finances and greater autonomy over the day-to-day running of the school, making the change and becoming an academy does not come without its challenges.
“When a school becomes an academy it is suddenly expected to manage all its own finances and meet Government requirements, so having a competent financial accounting system in place is key. However, our research highlights that many academies do not have the right support in place and, as such, are struggling with their new financial responsibilities.
“With an abundance of financial management systems on the market, it is wise for academy leaders to invest in a robust system that has been specifically built for the education sector. This is because they have been purposely designed to help simplify operations, keep a track of budget and assets, and provide evidence that the academy’s budget is being handled in the most effective way possible.”
www.hcsseducation.co.uk/blog/academy-futures-report
Into Film shines spotlight on careers in film with new school
An insight into career opportunities in the film industry, and how learners’ own skills, developed from a young age, could in future be applied to them, is the focus of two new, curriculum-linked ‘Careers in Film’ primary and secondary teaching resources from Into Film. The resources are comprised of Powerpoint presentations and teachers’ notes with a wide range of activities, discussion ideas, film clips and inside information to develop pupils’ awareness of the film industry and the wide variety of potential jobs that are open to them.
The primary school resources are designed to support different topics in the curriculum, including English, art and design, music and computing, activities range from identifying the roles in making a film and exploring the different stages of filmmaking from initial idea and pre-production through to distribution and exhibition, to reading film as text and applying creativity in design and direction. The resource also contains an in-depth look at traditional, stop frame and computer animation and the art of creating sound effects, simple filmmaking activities and a section on copyright - culminating in a ‘Which Career Are You?’ quiz.
Meanwhile, for secondary schools, Into Film has produced a range of clips, interviews and learning activities linked to curriculum areas such as English, drama, art, music, maths, ICT, PSHE, careers and business takes students through different elements of the film-making process including: film development and pre-production, production and post-production, marketing, distribution and evaluation. Throughout the process pupils are encouraged to complete a skills audit matching their skills and interests with
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www.education-today.co.uk
those required in the industry, culminating in the ‘Your Future in Film’ section inviting them to consider which jobs they would be best suited for. The Careers in Film resource is launched for National Careers Week (March 7th-11th) as part of Into Film’s spring term theme “Achievement”, celebrating the awards season, young people's individual achievement and attainment, and the ability to set a goal and work towards it.
www.intofilm.org March 2016
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