VIEWSVIEWS & OPINIO N OPINION


Schools needmore than just government fundin g to save themfrom crumbling


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Comment by KIRK TAYLOR, Head of Development at Kajima


Recently, the UK Government announced a £400m investment package to repair school and college buildings in England.Whilst it is a relief to finally see significant funds being used to address the state of the country’s schools, even a sum of this size sadly does not do enough to make the changes whic h are needed.


A £400msticking plaster fo A £400m sticking plaster for a £6.7bn problem for a £6.7bn problem


In 2017, the National Audit Office (NAO) calculated that it would cost approximately £6.7bn to bring England’s schools (over 60%of which were built before 1976) back to a “satisfactory” con additional £7.5bn needed to take the buildings from


,


“satisfactory” to dition, with an


“good”.Moreover, many schools need to tackle common challenges such as faulty electrical wiring and external wall degradation which of course only become more expensive to repair with time. Indeed, since the original study was published, the NAO has projected that these repair costs would double between 2020 and 2021.


Clearly, therefore, there is a question mark over how much more Government money can realistically be released for school building and


maintenance. That’s one of the reasons why I’m passionate about schools being able to find creative solutions to raise their own funds, generate consistent revenue and improve efficiencies. I believe there are three ways in particular that schools could do this .


Finding creative solutions to the proble m Finding creative solutions to the problem


First, the school estate has a combined internal area of 62 million square metres, for a total of 21,200 schools. In terms of real estate, this is an incredibly valuable holding which presents significant opportunities. If schools were able to develop unused land at the end of their life cycles, it would present a valuable financial opportunity which could then in turn be used to fund the repair of current structures potential left in them.


Second, if schools were to leverage new tech


nologies as well as simple which still have some


energy saving measures to improve efficiencies, they would be able to significantly reduce annual expenses for utility bills. According to a Carbon Trust estimate, UK schools could save around a £44m per year while also significantly shrinking their carbon footprint, without having to resort to drastic measures.


Third, if schools were to leverage their sports facilities and meeting spaces (which would otherwise go unused for long stretches of time throughout the day) by renting them out to local clubs and events, they could create a whole new revenue stream. One example is Haydon School in Pinner, who’ve been using Kajima’s BookingsPlus online lettings management tool to rent out facilities for local clubs and organisations since August 2018. By capitalising on spaces which aren’t being used to their fullest, Haydon School was able to draw in more annual funds which could in turn be put back into the school’s budge t for improvements and repairs.


Ultimately, there will always be constraints on the amount of money that any Government can spend. But the good news is that there are already things that schools and colleges can be doing now to generate more revenue. Indeed, in the words of many a school report, there’s plenty of room for improvement.


Don’t’t set off


ff for Bett tt


without a strategic sat nav Comment by AL KINGSLEY,MD of NetSupport


Since the first i


teration of Bett way rt


back in 1985 the show has grown to be the global meeting place for the education community. Visitors to the show gain unprecedented access to idea ,s insight debate and discussion and this year’s show is set to provide much food for thought; applications such as Augmented Reality, Voice and Facial Recognition, debate over AI and robotics and the complex, ethical questions these technologies can pose.


,


However, educators at Bett are often exploring innovation within a sector that rewards short-term wins based on rearwa success – the importance placed on annual league ta


bles being just one rd measures of


example. In this climate, long-term strategies that may take years to achieve can seem daunting, especially when it comes to taking strides with new technologies.


In my experience, not only as theMD of an edtech company but as a multi academy trust Chair, attending Bett without a clear digital strategy front of mind can waste time and make decisions about technology more challenging.My mission in the run up to Bett 2020 is to encourage all


2 4 www .education-toda y.co.uk.co.uk www


schools to consider their digital strategy first and foremost as they explore what’s on offer. If not, I’m afraid any edtech i mplementation the sho w inspires is destined for disappointment and wasted resources when implemented.


Teachers are hungry for technologies that enable them to teach in a more engaging, efficient and impactful way. However, a piecemeal approach based on ad hoc purchases is unlikely promised results. Any edtech decision needs to


be considered within a to deliver on the


much wider context.What are we trying to achieve in the classroom? What will be the impact on infrastructure, support services or teacher training?Will it save precious time? How often should it be refreshed, and how can you measure its effectiveness?


Investing in educational technology without a defined digital strategy is rather li ke relying on your sat nav for directions without first enterin g the destination. You can keep on driving, but you’re unlikely to end up at the right location.


Devising and implementing a digital strategy can seem like a daunting task. It certainly requires concerted effort, however like so many challenges once the first steps are taken the dividends become obvious. A school’s digital strategy is a long-term journey, with multiple milestones along the way. Take heart in the fact that you are not alone on this journey. There are experts, school leaders, technologists offering advice and support,


A digital strategy can act as a valuable tool to guide your visit to Bett. That is why, with ICT EvangelistMark Anderson and reno wned advocate for the purposeful us e


of technology linked t o (former school leader


pedagogy), we’ve launched A Guide to Creating a Digital Strategy in Education, a free resource any school can use to ensure use of


technology is as effective as possible in supporting teaching and learning. Visit us at stand NL44 to receive a copy of the guide to take away, ask any questions and to share your experiences of embarking on a strategic path towards edtech success.


Decembe r 2019 2019


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