BESA CORNER
This month, in our ongoing feature highlighting the work of members of the UK education suppliers’ trade body BESA, we learn about the CREATE EDUCATION PROJECT; and hear how TES are supporting SENCOs.
“Some of the concepts and ideas that you can come up with, with just a bit of plastic…[are] truly unbelievable!”
There’s nothing like unfiltered feedback from students to make your heart sing! In November 2022, The CREATE Education Project caught up with students who had been participating in the ‘Inspiring Lancashire’ project and this, amongst other amazing feedback, stood out, echoing what The CREATE Education Project strives to do perfectly! The CREATE Education Project
Formed in 2014, The CREATE Education Project aims to support teachers and educators in bringing 3D Printing technologies and Additive Manufacturing to young people; closing the gap between education and industry by providing free resources, CPD, and workshops, and high-quality 3D technology,, encouraging the development of Industry 4.0 skills from a young age.
With the revolution of Industry 4.0, a digital skills gap has opened up, leaving the Additive Manufacturing industry without skilled professionals and young people needing the adequate skills to fill high-quality digital STEM jobs. Through the ‘Inspiring Lancashire Programme,’ The CREATE Education Project has been able to support addressing this. The Inspiring Lancashire Programme
BAE Systems and Lancashire LEP saw the same gaps and wanted to do something about it. Research undertaken by the LEP showed that the demand from employers for digital and tech skills was only set to increase. The analysis also revealed that fewer than one in six of the Lancashire digital workforce were female and that the sector was solely made up of employees aged 25 and over. Therefore, they announced a significant investment in new digital skills programmes to boost employability in Lancashire. The ‘Inspiring Lancashire Programme’ has benefited up to 7,500 young people and has been designed to enhance their digital employability skills. Through the ‘Inspiring Lancashire Programme’, The CREATE Education Project has delivered the skills and knowledge of Additive Manufacturing to 52 Secondary schools in Lancashire. Each of the schools received an Ultimaker 2+ Connect 3D Printer and material bundle, alongside CPD training for two teachers and two in-school STEM Workshop days. The Impact
In September 2022, following the delivery of teacher training and school workshops, a mid-point evaluation report was produced which showed the incredible impact of the ‘Inspiring Lancashire Project’, with: • 70% of students saying that this project made them consider their KS4 options leading to a job in science, technology or engineering. • 100% of teachers said the workshops had generated a positive change in learner attitudes. • 100% of teachers said the learners had made a connection to how the workshops could impact on future life chances.
The impact data was further reflected in the direct feedback from the students in the November visit, with students enthusing about the impact that the programme had had on their skills and future career prospects in a short video. What next
Because of the amazing impact created from the ‘Inspiring Lancashire Programme’ The CREATE Education Project are thrilled to announce that BAE Systems have invested further to extend it for another three years. The extension means that The CREATE Education Project can now introduce further Additive Manufacturing technology into these 52 schools, such as 3D Scanners and Mayku Formboxes, as well as loaning printers to 100 Primary feeder schools!
Get involved in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing If you are looking to get your students inspired with 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, get in contact with The CREATE Education Project. Call them on 01257 276 116 or email
enquiries@createeducation.com for advice and support from 3D Printing education experts.
createeducation.com
14
www.education-today.co.uk Supporting busy SENCOs
There has been much discussion in the sector about the increasing needs of pupils with special
educational needs (SEN) over the last few years. The government published its
long-awaited SEND and AP (alternative provision) green paper in March 2022, where the key findings suggested there was lots to be done to support this area of educational provision. It outlined ambitious proposals on delivering greater national consistency on the support that should be made available, how it should be accessed and how it should be funded. This would ideally make the regional variances in how this support is applied for, managed and funded a thing of the past. It also set out plans for an inclusive system, starting with improved mainstream provision that offers early and accurate identification of needs, high-quality teaching, and prompt access to targeted support.
It has recently been reported that the number of pupils with special educational needs increased to 1.49 million in 2022, which represents 16.5% of all pupils in England.
Schools and their SENCO’s (Special Educational Needs Coordinators) do an incredible job at managing the care and provision that these children need, but it isn’t always easy. With so many people involved and lots of moving parts, it can be very time consuming and complex. Caroline Farmer, who is a headteacher and SENCO at The Abbey Primary School, Northampton has a great deal of experience managing the SEND provision in her school. They have been using software called Provision Map from Tes which has been designed by teachers for a while now. It is packed with features to reduce workload and help manage SEND provision, enabling schools to keep all their SEND data in one easy-to-navigate place, while creating reports at the touch of a button and always being ready to provide evidence for inspectors. Caroline has been using this tool for over six years and explains how it has helped her and her team manage what was previously an over- complicated process.
“Improving our pupils’ outcomes isn’t for Ofsted,” Farmer says. “For us, it’s about giving our children the education that they deserve. We have a higher than national average proportion of disadvantaged pupils here and we have a higher proportion of students with SEND, therefore we are really focused on giving those pupils the best life chances that they can possibly get. Provision Map has been a game- changer in terms of tracking everything. It means you aren’t rifling through lots and lots of bits of paperwork and anybody who needs access can access it. “The reports section is so much quicker, so much easier time management wise, when you can look and say what’s actually cost-effective and what’s working.” And she continues, it’s ultimately about making the biggest difference possible to the students and their families. “We have such strong relationships with our children and their families,” she says. “It’s about improving the life choices and chances for them because that’s what they deserve. Everybody’s in this job to make a difference, and so it’s about looking at the systems and processes that are in place, to make sure that they’re the right ones for your children.”
tes.com/send/mapping
March 2023
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