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BESA CORNER


This month, in our ongoing feature highlighting the work of members of the UK education suppliers’ trade body BESA, we hear from HEATHER ABELA of Learning by Questions; and Stourport based furniture manufacturer WITLEY JONES.


Rise to the challenge


Comment by HEATHER ABELA, Learning by Questions


Damian Hinds has challenged the edtech industry to start an education revolution. The Education Secretary is asking the tech sector to demonstrate how to successfully roll out technology across the country, backed up by evidence of the impact they can make. So the first hurdle is that edtech developers ought to have


evidence that their product makes an impact. It needs to be tested. The onus is on us to test our product and pedagogy. What should the baseline for such testing be? If this were another


industry – medicine for example – a couple of individual case studies would not be enough to cut the mustard. Let’s be clear, I have never read a case study in which the product failed to make an impact. A case study is a piece of marketing, it is not scientific evidence. Testing needs to be sizeable, vigorous enough to provide both


qualitative and quantitative data and contain a fundamental element of objectivity. This is not good news for genius start-ups with small bank balances, nor is it good news for schools because such testing invariably puts a burden on them in terms of time investment and a risk that the research they’ve volunteered for will not end up bringing any benefit to their teachers, pupils or management systems. Naturally, the government suggest that schools conduct ‘small-


scale trials’ and ‘gradually scale up implementation’ – but how many ‘small scale trials’ could a school host? If I were a headteacher I’d be very discerning about what crossed our threshold. And honestly, most pedagogy’s out there offer a free trial for 60 days or similar, and it hasn’t invoked the successful roll-out of impactful edtech that Mr Hinds (and the rest of us) desire. In fact, it may have just contributed to the problem by flooding the market with freebies and promises, teachers cannot see the good wood for the tress. It must also be said that once this hard-won evidence is collated,


the edtech industry needs some help promoting developers who have gone that extra mile. Perhaps there should be some quality- stamp of approval or listing that schools can refer to and be reassured by? BESA have certainly led the way with their new LendED website – a ‘Trip Advisor’ for edtech. In our experience, successful testing came about when we


matched the right tool with the right school. We specifically collaborated with 50 schools who were looking for ways to reduce unnecessary teacher workloads and increase pupil progress, resilience and differentiation. The pertinent word being ‘collaboration’. This was not a Business to Consumer arrangement, both teachers and developers were equally invested in developing a successful pedagogy together. Our national feedback study ended months ago, and yet the


teachers continue to contribute. They come to the offices and discuss what works and what doesn’t with the development team. We go out and visit the schools. Everybody is on first name terms. It doesn’t seem like the evidence gathering will ever end, nor the innovation which ensues. Everybody loves a challenge, but this is not one that the edtech


industry can take on alone. Government, schools, developers and authority bodies must rise to this together.


14 www.education-today.co.uk December 2018


Kings Hawford celebrates opening of


double decker bus library Kings Hawford, Worcester, celebrated the opening of its converted double decker bus library at the beginning of the school year.


The school had partnered with Stourport based furniture manufacturer, Witley Jones Furniture, to design and convert the London Transport red bus into a dedicated space for pupils to learn to read. The aim of head teacher


Jim Turner was to create a space that made a statement outside of the main school building. After hearing about similar projects, Jim decided to bring the double decker bus to Worcestershire to repurpose into an exciting and interactive environment. Jim Turner, Head of King’s Hawford, said, “For the younger


children the most important thing is that it is a place to sit and be read to. A great space to take part in an adventure, a journey. They especially liked going upstairs to choose their books and enjoying the view from the top seats. The bus puts reading at the heart of our school. “It was essential that the design needed to be in-keeping with


the bus. We didn't just want to put shelves in and call it a Library Bus. Witley Jones Furniture worked closely with us to shape the project; the team there grasped the idea and concept immediately.” During the summer months, bespoke seating, shelving and tables


were designed and installed throughout the vehicle in time for the grand opening at the beginning of the summer term. “We are delighted to have been invited to work on such an


innovative project for a school that is local to us in Worcestershire. Converting a double decker bus is certainly a unique project that we hadn’t encountered before, it was important that the interior and furniture was in-keeping with the bus and colour scheme where possible” commented Matt Jones, Director, Witley Jones Furniture.

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