VIEWS
BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA)
Celebrating excellence: the significance of the BESA Awards
Comment by DAVE SMITH, Head of Partnerships and Events at BESA
In the ever-evolving world of education, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Awards aim to champion and celebrate innovation and excellence. The awards are more than just recognition; they symbolise the dedication of education suppliers to enhancing the learning journey and establishing positive learning outcomes.
What are the BESA Awards?
The BESA Awards celebrate the achievements and innovations of BESA members across the education supplies sector. Each year, they highlight products, services, and individuals that significantly impact teaching and learning and wider school improvement across various categories: Team of the Year; Inspirational Leader; Make the Difference; Evidence and Impact; Women in Education; School and Supplier; Best Place to Work; Outstanding Support Service; Outstanding Educational Resource. An expert panel, including educators, industry professionals, and education consultants, evaluates each entry based on innovation, impact, and value to education. This rigorous process ensures that only the most deserving receive recognition, providing a reliable benchmark for quality and effectiveness.
Commitment to quality and innovation
The BESA Awards underscore the commitment of education suppliers to quality and innovation. In a constantly evolving field, suppliers must adapt and innovate to meet the changing needs of students and teachers. The awards showcase those leading the way with groundbreaking solutions. The 2024 shortlist features a diverse array of entries—from cutting-edge digital learning platforms that facilitate personalised learning to meticulously crafted physical resources that enhance hands-on learning. These entries highlight the breadth and depth of innovation within the education sector.
Supporting teaching and learning and beyond
The impact of the BESA Awards on teaching and learning is profound. Awarded products and services often become benchmarks for excellence, guiding schools in their procurement decisions. The BESA Awards seal of approval assures teachers and school leaders of the efficacy and reliability of these resources. Furthermore, the awards emphasise the importance of continuous improvement. Education suppliers aiming for BESA recognition engage in ongoing research and development, seek feedback from educators, and refine their offerings. This cycle of feedback and improvement leads to resources finely tuned to the needs of teachers and students.
Fostering a collaborative community
Beyond recognising individual excellence, the BESA Awards foster a sense of community and collaboration within the education sector. They provide a platform for suppliers to share best practices, collaborate on new ideas, and celebrate successes. For educators, the awards offer an opportunity to connect with innovative suppliers and explore new solutions. Events surrounding the awards, such as exhibitions and conferences, enable teachers and school leaders to engage directly with suppliers, gaining a deeper understanding of how these products and services can be integrated into their classrooms.
The latest trends and developments
The BESA Awards not only celebrate past achievements but also set the stage for future innovations. They inspire education suppliers and individuals to strive for excellence, reminding us of the profound impact that well-designed educational resources can have on teaching and learning and wider school improvement. The Awards are a powerful testament to the commitment of education suppliers to support UK schools. They celebrate innovation, excellence, and collaboration, driving the education sector forward. As we look to the future, these awards will continue to shape the landscape of education, ensuring that teachers and students have access to the very best resources available.
Why choose BESA for your school?
BESA is the cornerstone of the UK’s educational supply sector. BESA’s dedication to quality, rigorous standards, and strong industry connections make it an indispensable partner for UK schools. By choosing BESA members, schools can ensure they receive top-quality products and services that support educational success and educators from equipment, materials, and books to ICT hardware and cutting-edge EdTech solutions. Covering around 80% of the market in terms of school expenditure, BESA is a vital resource for schools seeking high-quality products and services.
Get in touch at
besa@besa.org.uk July/August 2024 BBC TEACH
Looking ahead: digital literacy, Live Lessons, music and more Here, ALEX HARRIS, Executive
Producer at BBC Teach, shares his reflections on the past academic year and talks through his top four project ideas to start planning for the new term
As we race towards the end of term, I’ve been reflecting on
the academic year. It’s a year I’ll remember with particular fondness, as here at the BBC we celebrated 100 years since our first broadcast for schools (a rather stuffy radio broadcast from April 1924). Things have changed a fair bit since then, but we’re still driven by our mission to transform lives through education. I know you share that same mission. Here at BBC Teach our goal is to provide you with video resources that inspire your pupils and deliver key learning. I always tell friends that BBC Teach is the modern version of when your teacher used to wheel the telly into the classroom (and inevitably spend ages rewinding the VHS tape to find the start of a recording from BBC Two the night before)! It’s all online now, and I’m immensely proud of our vast catalogue of curriculum-linked classroom videos.
In the past year we’ve had the opportunity to speak to lots of teachers at events and in focus groups, but please do get in touch with your feedback on our videos and anything you feel is missing (just email me at
teach.bbc@
bbc.co.uk). Looking ahead to the autumn term, here are four projects you might want to add to your diary for the new school year. The bedrock of BBC Teach is what you might know as ‘Class Clips’. These are short classroom videos organised by subject and age group, designed to slot into your lessons. There are some great additions coming in the autumn term, but I’m particularly excited about a new suite we’re developing to support primary teachers covering digital literacy. We know digital literacy skills are critical, both to prevent harm and to ensure children thrive. The new collection covers a wealth of topics including gaming, copyright, privacy, bullying and digital footprints.
A new series of Live Lessons will also launch in the autumn and will mark key moments in the school calendar. Look out for World Space Week in October and Anti-Bullying Week in November, also further ahead Safer Internet Day in February and World Book Day in March.
Live Lessons are also involved in 500 Words, the UK’s biggest children’s story writing competition. Entries open on Tuesday, 24 September and we will be broadcasting a 500 Words-themed Live Lesson to help inspire your pupils and get them writing. For more information on this great classroom project keep an eye on the BBC Teach website. The autumn also marks the tenth anniversary of Ten Pieces, our landmark music education initiative, and we’re celebrating with a new collection of works by women composers. Recordings of the new repertoire and accompanying resources for 7-11 year olds will be released in the autumn term. That’s my top four (we have many more, I could go on)! Have a relaxing (and very well deserved) summer break, we’ll see you on the other side for digital literacy, spectacular Live Lessons, creative writing and orchestral music.
www.bbc.co.uk/teach www.education-today.co.uk 23
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