VIEWS


BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA)


Collaboration works – the power of CPD and much more at Bett 2024


Comment by DAVE SMITH, Head of Partnerships and Events, BESA


Bett 2024 offered an enriching CPD program featuring renowned guest speakers and providing opportunities for showcasing and discussing ideas with peers. A standout addition to Bett 2024 was the Table Talks program. This initiative connected individuals from schools, universities, and government bodies based on their primary areas of interest, such as Artificial Intelligence, Student and Teacher Wellbeing, Cybersecurity, and SEND/Inclusion.


In one session, I joined a talk on the significance of digital strategy and growth. The session facilitated a rich conversation with participants, including representatives from schools, governors, and the digital team from an EU country, shared valuable insights, tips, and successful approaches. The discussions extended beyond the tables, fostering connections among attendees. It was, without a doubt, one of the most impactful CPD experiences that I have ever participated in.


Another noteworthy event at Bett 2024 was the eighth edition of ‘Kids Judge Bett,’ led by Katy Potts of Islington Council. This initiative, where children aged 7 to 13 years old choose the best exhibitor stands, concluded with an Awards Ceremony, at the Bett Show. Author and poet Michael Rosen presented trophies to the winners. This year’s student judges hailed from various locations, spanning from Cumbria to East London, just a 10-minute walk from the ExCeL, the home of Bett.


Reflecting on the origins of ‘Kids Judge Bett,’ it started in 2014 when Islington schools and families gathered at the Bett Show to explore stands and hear children’s opinions. Bett Awards Judge Katy Potts and I, both judges at the Bett Awards at that time, discussed how to involve even more children. Katy pitched the idea to Bett who immediately saw the potential and helped her to grow it. Now in its eighth year, the initiative has evolved, introducing sustainability categories alongside the existing ones like ‘Best Games Based Literacy Product,’ ‘Best Active Learning Product,’ and ‘Best Robotics Supporting Inclusion.’ BESA at BETT


This year, 64 BESA members exhibited at the Bett Show. BESA’s Deputy Director General Julia Garvey opened the show alongside Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan MP and Louisa Hunter, Bett Director.


BESA and members exhibiting at Bett UK got 2024 off to a strong start building connections with delegations from around the word. Julia accompanied Gillian Keegan MP on a tour of the show to learn more about BESA members exhibiting at Bett. Julia, Peter Doyle, BESA’s Policy Manager and I accompanied Schools Minister Damian Hinds MP, Sir David Davis MP and Lord Offord to visit BESA members stands at the show. BESA members also met with VIP visitors from the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education, Korean Ministry of Education, Lebanese EdTech syndicate, Brazilian Regional Government Leaders, India and Azerbaijan. Julia was also a key part of the ‘Celebrating women in EdTech’ event at Bett connecting women from across the sector, and also presented on the panel discussing innovation in teaching and learning through AI as part of the launch of ITN Business’s EdTech programme launch.


BESA also helps run the Bett Global Futures area and I was on hand during the show to support the brilliant UK and international EdTech startups exhibiting here. Bett Awards


Produced in association with BESA, the Bett Awards are a celebration of the inspiring creativity and innovation that can be found throughout technology for education. Being a Bett Award-winner means to showcase your organisation with a sign of excellence. We were delighted to see BESA members making the list of winners and being recognised for their contribution to innovation in the industry.


February 2024 EARLY YEARS


Mind the word gap! This month, in our ongoing collaboration


with Edge Hill University curated by ALICIA BLANCO-BAYO, Early Years Lecturer and WTEY Programme Leader at the University’s Faculty of Education, we’re delighted to hear from AMANDA CASEY, Senior Lecturer at the university.


The word gap! What is it, and why does it inspire me to read, research and reflect upon this curious notion?


It all started when I qualified as a primary teacher in the early 90s. I was the first and only one of my siblings to enter university and I qualified with an English specialism. The language and literature elements of my degree were the interesting bits that really lit a fire in my belly. In the midst of lectures and seminars, I would ponder on the idea of how some people could choose and use such extraordinary vocabulary in a creative and confident way, whilst others were left scrounging around for the scraps of words. It certainly helped to pique an interest in my newly found career and has never left my side since.


The idea of working with young children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the Northwest, helping to enable them to articulate their ideas and thoughts clearly, was an adventure that I certainly wanted to explore. Language, words, sentences, are pivotal to expressing one’s inner feelings, emotions, ideas and thoughts. So how as a teacher of almost 30 years, could I not want to encourage children to feel new words dancing on their lips and shape creative sentences like songs through their mouths?


According to Hart and Risley (1995), there is a 30-million-word gap between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds. It was necessary to take a moment after reading this statement, to reflect upon the magnitude of such a claim. Many questions circled around my head. Thoughts of how unfair and unjust this felt for the children I was working with, surged through my mind. What was to happen to these children, were they to be cast aside by society because of their postcode? Could teachers, could I, make a difference? In 2010, the Education Secretary at the time, Michael Gove, introduced the much-debated National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) under the Conservative Coalition Government. This was conceived as a way to instruct teachers to focus on developing children’s ability to use vocabulary correctly, confidently, and robustly. It was further noted within this statutory documentation that “knowing more words” equated with “strong academic success.” And likewise, again under the current Conservative Government, the Research Review Series for English (OFSTED, 2022: 6) also tells us that ‘there is a positive correlation between a pupil’s vocabulary size and their academic success.’


So here we are now in 2024. And after many years of working with children, their families, even teachers, to help aid children in constructing and articulating their words clearly and confidently, I am about to embark upon some action research which will help me to identify and evaluate what strategies teachers are using to help ‘close the [purported] word gap’. Teachers, as we know all too well, will always approach problems with a solution-focused goal, and I want to find out more about how this works in practice for a wide range of young children, still in the most disadvantaged areas of the Northwest.


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