CONTENTS


Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue!


May means one thing in this sector: exams are around the corner. So it’s only fitting that our Feature Focus this month is on that very topic. Dr. James Gupta, CEO and Founder of online exam platform Synap, explains why universities must treat digital assessment delivery as critical infrastructure; while Stephanie Smith, Head of School at The Cavendish School and Executive Director of SEND, Eastern Learning Alliance, shares three key ways to help autistic students navigate their GCSE exams.


Our second feature covers Outdoor Learning.


We hear from PGL Beyond’s Head of Impact and Breakthrough Learning, John Allan, who tells us why outdoor learning should be viewed as essential, and not just a ‘nice to have’. Joy Blizzard, Policy and Communications Officer at the Field Studies Council, shares this view and argues that guaranteed outdoor learning should be part of the national curriculum. And we take a look at the power of outdoor play in action, covering Princes Risborough Primary School’s Platinum OPAL Award win. In our lead Buildings, Maintenance & Refurbishment feature, Helen Jude, Partner at Landwood Group, explains how struggling independent schools can look to their estates as a source of strategic value, from unlocking income to finding new uses for existing buildings. Plus, we share how Aurora by Osborne Technologies has delivered a pioneering immersive classroom and multi-sensory suite at Danecourt Special School; we cover Airflow’s findings on air quality in the classroom; and we take a look at how Sync is supporting schools to take part in Schools 48-Hour Film Challenge UK in our Computing & IT feature.


Remember, we always love to hear your views, so please get in touch via email or @EdTodayMag on X.


Enjoy the issue!


Charlotte Westwood Managing Editor


On the cover...


Business Director: Carl Hearnden Managing Editor: Charlotte Westwood Artwork Editor: Kirsty Hood Secretary: Tracey Ballard Published by:


Datateam Business Media Limited, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY Tel: 01622 699128 (Advertising) Tel: 07969 141997 (Editorial) Fax: 01622 757646 Email: education@datateam.co.uk Circulation: Curwood CMS Ltd datateam@c-cms.com Tel: 01580 883844 Fax: 01580 883849 Subscription Prices 2020 Number of editions per year: 11 UK: £52 Overseas: £132


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Education today


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uhttps://www.apetito.co.uk/ In this issue... 4-12 NEWS


The latest from across the sector 14 WELLBEING


With Mark Solomons, creator of Welbee 15 BESA CORNER


The latest from BESA’s members 18 VIEWS


With Alex Dave and Steve McCourt 19-20 CONTRIBUTORS


With Emma Sanderson, Naomi Howells, and Sal McKeown


21-22 SEND


Insights from our SEND contributors 23 AI


Exploring AI in education


24-25 VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM With Victoria Standring from Loughborough High School 26-27 WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY


Views and opinion from across the sector 28-29 FEATURE: EXAMS With Synap’s Dr. James Gupta


30-31 FEATURE: EXAMS


With The Cavendish School’s Stephanie Smith 32-33 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING


With PGL Beyond’s John Allan 34 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING


With Joy Blizzard at the Field Studies Council 36 FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING


With Princes Risborough Primary School


38-39 FEATURE: BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT


With Helen Jude at Landwood Group 40 FEATURE: BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT


With Aurora by Osborne Technologies


42 FEATURE: BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT


With Airflow 44 FEATURE: COMPUTING & IT


With Sync 46 FEATURE: COMPUTING & IT With More Than Robots


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