VIEWS
BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA)
BESA’s ‘State of the Estate’ report: urgent reinvestment needed for UK schools
In light of the National Audit Office report into the condition of school buildings which found 700,000 pupils attending schools in need of major rebuilding or refurbishment, BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association) commissioned a survey into the condition of more than 900 schools. The results of The State of the Estate are a clarion call a new funding settlement to modernise school facilities and ensure a conducive learning environment. PETER DOYLE, Policy Manager, BESA, shares the report’s findings.
Our members have been concerned about the condition of STEM for a while. Many note that schools seem to be conducting less experiments and have difficulty getting access to computer equipment in science labs. Our report appears to confirm over 70% of schools indicating this being a serious issue in the delivery of lessons. The general condition of science labs also appears to be creating acute challenges in the delivery of lessons. Over half of schools (57%) indicated current conditions negatively affect learning outcomes, with less than one in four (23%) describing them as positively affecting learning. Another government priority is its commitment to expanding its offer in technical qualifications. In particular, the launch of T-Levels aims to better prepare students for entry into skilled employment. We believe that Design & Technology is an important stepping stone to preparing students for a bright future in skilled employment. From our report, what emerges is chronically underfunded Design & Technology facilities in schools, with 62% of schools in Secondary reporting the current condition of facilities negatively affects learning outcomes, climbing to over 85% in Primary.
Creative subjects seem equally underfunded with Art & Design and Music teachers both reported having generally inadequate facilities. Commenting on the report, the subject association Music Mark highlighted that the Government’s National Plan for Music said “music must not be the preserve of the privileged few” though 41% of state schools rated their music facilities as inadequate. One area which has dominated headlines in the sector recently, is the deteriorating level of provision in SEND. One area where schools seem to be particularly in need is the provision of adapted facilities to enable their children with SEND to take part in PE – with over 80% of schools indicating that this was something they needed but didn’t have.
More generally, less than one-in-five schools described their current SEND facilities as well resourced, with more than 60% describing them as poor or very poor.
On a brighter note, initiatives to improve tech infrastructure within schools appear to be working. We found the difference in internet access between rural and urban schools to be narrowing, with a higher percentage of rural schools now reporting a reliable and fast internet connection. Furthermore, we have also seen increases in schools reporting better reliability on their internal networks (such as Wi-Fi coverage) indicating that infrastructure projects at both the national and school level appear to be effective. Commenting on the report, BESA’s Director General, Caroline Wright said:
A good education is built on strong foundations: the workforce, the classroom and the supplies. Well provisioned facilities are not just conductive to better learning, in some subjects they are fundamental to the delivery of lessons. However, our report finds that pupils are continuing to learn in facilities which are outdated and, in the worst of cases, having a direct consequence on the quality of teaching and learning.
This report demonstrates the need for urgent reinvestment in our school’s estates and facilities. At its current rate, the entire schools’ estate would take over 400 years to rebuild. This is simply not good enough when a school building is typically built to last around 70 years.
We call on all major parties to commit to an urgent reinvestment in our schools estate and give teachers and pupils the world class facilities that they deserve.
https://www.besa.org.uk/news/the-state-of-the-estate/ 18
www.education-today.co.uk April 2024
LEADERSHIP WITH CHARLOTTE ROWLEY
Communicating with parents (part two) Continuing last month’s piece on
school-home communications, this month CHARLOTTE ROWLEY, Principal at St Austin’s Catholic Primary school in Stafford, summarises her thoughts and offers some tips to help you improve how you communicate with parents.
Daily messages home from class teachers can be a quick, but worthwhile method of communicating. Sharing what the class have learned about that day can spark conversations at home and contribute to wider parental engagement, which we know can lead to better outcomes and positive learning experiences overall. Not defaulting to calling home when behaviour is challenging, but remembering to call or speak with parents/carers when their child has produced some excellent work or tried really hard in a particular subject can go a long way! I advise staff to do this regularly and I order to end the week on a real high, I often suggest making several positive calls home at the end of the day on a Friday – it is appreciated by children and families more than teachers realise and starts the weekend off just right for all of us!
Overall, what simple methods can help with communication?
• Communication must be modelled by teachers and leaders so that all pupils, no matter what their age, know and understand the impact of this. Introducing a school Communications Charter, emphasising oracy and having policies and procedures that show that communication overall is a priority is important.
• Being creative with different methods and platforms of communication works – for example, the school website and social media can be impactful, but what specific ways does the school } use to showcase? For example, more schools are using reels to share work from the pupils and many have a prospectus video or interactive school tour to capture the setting. Would changing your methods of communication reach out to a wider audience than simply just sending out letters and newsletters? (These are imperative by the way, but is there a way of transforming these?)
• Sharing positive moments is crucial, whether this be with pupils, parents, staff or governors. It is very easy as leaders to focus on updating parents on any behaviour incidents or share with staff what initiatives in school need to urgently be improved, but a simple ‘thank you’, ‘well done’ and comments such as ‘they have had a BRILLIANT day today!’ really can mean the world.
• Overall, remember the power of words. They can shape, define and influence the mood of the school and contribute to the feel of the wider community.
As I always say, go back to the ‘why’, share your vision – communicating this will be more likely to win hearts and minds and lead to much higher engagement from all!
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