NEWS
Staffordshire University Academies Trust invests £150k in new roofs for four schools
Staffordshire University Academies Trust will be investing over £150k, in academic year 2021-2022, to replace the roofs at four of its academies. This will bring the Trust’s total investment in the real estate across its 20 schools to around £1.5 million over the last three years. All 20 schools have had additional investment
in some aspect of their property over this time period, for example, car parks, windows, lighting, doors. St Edward’s CE Academy in Cheddleton, Staffordshire University Academy
in Hednesford, Tynsel Parkes CE Primary Academy in Uttoxeter and Church Eaton Primary School near Stafford, have all had new roofs installed over the summer.
The entirety of the work is expected to be complete before the new school
term and will provide the academies with building regulation compliant and most importantly, watertight roofs, creating a safe, warm and dry learning environment. CEO of SUA Trust Keith Hollins said: “We’ve invested in these academies
because their roofs were flagged as high priority issues in our Trust – wide condition survey and have physically been leaking into classrooms, which has the potential to impact adversely on teaching and learning and staff and pupil well-being. “As part of our Trust, we ensure that all of our academies are supported
not just with educational and business matters but with infrastructure too, enabling teachers and support staff to focus on teaching and learning. “This latest round of investment means that staff and pupils are working in
a high-quality environment and that the Academy Principals have one less thing to worry about.”
u
https://www.suatrust.co.uk/
One million children in poverty miss out on free school meals in the UK
A new report from Child Poverty Action Group and Covid Realities
shows that 36% (about 1 million) of all school-aged children in poverty in the UK are not entitled to a free meal at school. The analysis shows that despite a rise in the number of children claiming FSMs between March 2020 and March 2021, restrictive eligibility criteria still prevent many in poverty from accessing any form of free school meal provision. Households on universal credit in England and Wales must earn less
than £7,400 a year to be eligible for free school meals, regardless of the number of children in the family. In Scotland, they must earn less than £7,320, while in Northern Ireland, the threshold is higher at £14,000. These low limits on income mean that many children from working families are in poverty but unable to access free school meals. While the majority of children in poverty who don’t qualify for free
school meals are in England (due to its much larger population), all four nations have a concerning proportion of children in poverty missing out. In Wales, 42% (55,000) of children in poverty miss out; in England, 37% (900,000); in Scotland, 17% (25,000); and in Northern Ireland, 22% (20,000).
Low-income parents participating
in the Covid Realities research project shared their experience of free school meals to inform the report, and helped to develop recommendations. All parents whose children receive FSMs said they value that provision highly, and said it made a “huge difference” to family life. Those whose children did not receive free school meals highlighted barriers to eligibility including being in receipt of working tax credit. Kate Anstey, UK Cost of the School Day lead at Child Poverty Action
Group, said: “It should be an outrage that so many children in poverty aren’t allowed a free school meal. We know what a huge difference these meals can make to struggling families who are at their wits’ end. It’s high time we gave them one less thing to worry about – that’s why we’re calling for urgent changes to the rules so all families on a low income can get this daily support.”
ucpag.org.uk School project creates a buzz across Fylde Coast
Students across the Fylde Coast have been a hive of activity this summer as they help to grow the area’s dwindling bee population. Schools from across Blackpool and Fleetwood have been decorating and installing bee houses in a bid to encourage more insects to visit and nest, while conducting their own experiments to discover which houses, colours and locations are the most habitable. Over 500 students from Armfield Academy, Montgomery Academy, St Mary’s Catholic Academy, Fleetwood High School and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School took part in the project, run by Blackpool and the Fylde College and fully funded by Lancashire careers organisation Future U. The bee houses have been installed across the school
grounds and form the first stage of the college’s plans to make the Fylde Coast a more bee friendly location, by working with more high schools to install larger hives and sow wildflower meadows to encourage larger populations, in addition to harvesting local honey. While the project was designed to help grow dwindling bee populations
and teach pupils about the vital role bees play in our ecosystem, the children also learnt about the value of conservation and scientific experiments with a
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www.education-today.co.uk
view to encouraging them to think about a career in science when they leave school. Samuel Bentley, Curriculum Manager for Science
at Blackpool and the Fylde College, said: “It’s been great to plan and provide this activity for local students who may become scientists one day soon. Our bee plan also raises awareness of the variety of science programmes available after high school all over the Fylde Coast, including our own animal science routes at Blackpool & Fylde College.” Jess Richmond, Senior Coordinator from Future U
added: “Careers in science can take plenty of different forms, from working with wildlife and conservation, through to studying astrology or engineering. By funding these projects, we can help students to discover a subject that they have a
passion for and want to study further at college or even on to university.” Future U is part of the national Uni Connect Programme, funded by the
Office for Students, and continues to support school pupils across Lancashire to encourage more young people to consider higher education and future careers.
uwww.lancashirefutureu.org.uk
September 2021
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