CONTENTS


Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue!


September is here. Nerves have settled following August’s GCSE and A Level results days, and the annual reset is underway as the corridors of universities, colleges


and schools throughout the UK all fill with students finding their feet after what’s been a particularly scorching summer. And while temperatures are finally cooling down, the heat is on in the education sector as we enter one of the busiest periods of the academic year.


For education institutions looking to make sure they start the year on the right foot, our features this month offer some useful food for thought. First up is Mental Health & Wellbeing. Kate Erskine, Head of DGI Study Trips, takes the lead to explore how international study can support mental health and wellbeing, offering valuable opportunities for young people to build relationships, resilience and confidence in a world where they are feeling the effects of spending more and more time online. Meanwhile, Pete Richardson, Head of Loretto School, shares how his school looks beyond academic attainment when it comes to pupil wellbeing, helping pupils flourish both in and beyond the classroom. Our Innovative Teaching Practices feature sees Mike Lambert, Global Education Director at Inspired Education Group, explain why education must evolve beyond traditional, one-size-fits-all teaching by combining strong academic foundations with personalised learning, technology and real-world skills.


And finally, we take a look at how education institutions can make strong purchasing decisions and maximise value with our Smart Procurement Strategies feature. Amy Shelley, Strategic Procurement Manager at YPO, shares what schools can do to make every pound count; while Jo Gilliard, CEO of Jangro, explains how estates teams can evaluate the lasting value of a cleaning contract.


As always, you’ll find all the usual news and views – and we love to hear from you, so don’t forget to get in touch via email or on X!


Enjoy the issue!


Charlotte Westwood Managing Editor


In this issue... 4-12 NEWS


The latest from across the sector 14 WELLBEING


With Mark Solomons, creator of Welbee 16-17 CONTRIBUTORS


With Dr Becky Parry, Emma Sanderson, and Sal McKeown


18 BESA CORNER


With OxEd & Assessment and Sapio 19 VIEWS


With Alex Dave and Liz Free 20 SEND


With Dr Freya Spicer-White and Matthew Allison 21 AI


With Cynam and Wavenet Education’s Sally Hodgson


22-23 VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


With Ben Martin at Water Meadows Primary School 24-27 WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY Views and opinion from across the sector


28-29 REACTION: TECHNICAL PATHWAYS


Sector reaction to PM Andy Burnham’s proposed reforms 30-31 MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING With Kate Erskine, Head of DGI Study Trips 32-33 MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING With Pete Richardson, Head of Loretto School 34-35 INNOVATIVE TEACHING PRACTICES


With Mike Lambert, Global Education Director at Inspired Education Group 36-37 SMART PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES


With Amy Shelley, Strategic Procurement Manager at YPO 38-39 SMART PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES With Jo Gilliard, CEO of Jangro


40-42 BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT With Portakabin 44-46 COMPUTING & IT


With Cheryl Watson, VP Education, UK at TechnologyOne


On the cover...


Business Director: Carl Hearnden Managing Editor: Charlotte Westwood Artwork Editor: Kirsty Hood Secretary: Tracey Ballard Published by:


Datateam Business Media Limited, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY Tel: 01622 699128 (Advertising) Tel: 07969 141997 (Editorial) Fax: 01622 757646 Email: education@datateam.co.uk Circulation: Curwood CMS Ltd datateam@c-cms.com Tel: 01580 883844 Fax: 01580 883849 Subscription Prices 2020 Number of editions per year: 11 UK: £52 Overseas: £132


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