Features

Helping schools deliver quality meals to pupils

Anne Bull of the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) describes how new government guidelines can help school caterers deliver meals of a high nutritional standard

A look at school buying patterns

Finance

BESA director Caroline Wright gives an update on schools’ budgets and spending patterns, with research showing an increase in expenditure in a number of key areas

Keeping the blaze at bay

Fire Safety

Gary Laird, risk management chairman of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and former firefighter, gives his advice on how schools can prevent blazes

Breathing life into education

Outdoor Learning

Sarah Blackwell of Forest Schools Education discusses the need for schools to help children learn from the natural world and outlines an approach that goes beyond conventional one-day outings

Procurement:  Are you getting it right?

Procurement

The move away from the financial control of the local authority, in part for schools and completely for academies, has delivered a new set of demands for staff, leaving many unsure if they are getting it quite right.

Good contract management

Finance

What should schools, and particularly academies, do to ensure they are securing the right suppliers for their specific needs? Simon Hill, managing director of YPO, shares some advice

Placing professionals into schools & academies

Recruitment

Supply agencies have a major role to play in the development of a flexible workforce that can respond to the challenges that schools are facing, such as teacher shortages and increasing pupil numbers. But how can you ensure that the people they supply have undertaken all the relevant checks? The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Chris Wilford shares some thoughts

The business  of education

Academies

The process of conversion has a significant impact on the business management function within a new academy, and many are bringing in help from outside. But how can those running an academy be sure they are buying services from a safe source, and from companies that have a proven track record of selling into the education market? Tony Richardson, Chair of IAAS, finds out

Designing-in energy efficiency

Design and Build

Building designers and architects should take into account estimated energy use from the design stage of a building project, so that energy efficiency can be designed-in from the start

The challenge of winter maintenance

Landscaping

The winter months present a number of challenges for those responsible for maintaining the grounds of educational establishments. The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) discusses maintenance regimes that reduce risk and protect learning communities

A sound investment in technology

ICT

BESA’s 16th annual ‘ICT in UK State Schools’ research foresees that funding and investment in technology will reach an all-time high. But what should schools and academies consider before investing? BESA’s director Caroline Wright shares her top tips

Drive up classroom standards with healthy school lunches

Catering

All meals served in schools must meet strict nutritional standards, and lunchboxes should be no exception, says nutritionist Sarah West

Football and government combine to boost sports facilities

Sports

The Premier League, The FA and the Government together with Sport England have recently announced a new fund of £102m is to be delivered, by the Football Foundation, into grassroots facilities across England over the next three years.

Realising the many benefits play can bring

Outdoor Learning

The Association of Play Industries awaits the long-awaited evaluation of the £235m Play Pathfinders and Play Builders Programmes expected before the end of the year, its new chairman, Michael Hoenigmann, is ready to bang the drum for play at the highest levels and call for the recognition it deserves

Making the most of school trips

Educational Trips

With over £380 million being spent with member companies for study, ski and sports trips in 2012 and with no sign of that trend reversing, Ian Pearson of the School Travel Forum asks why are they so popular and how can schools make the most educationally from them?

Standing out for educational excellence

Conferences and Events

Schools, academies and colleges across the country have been awarded for their hard work, dedication and success in achieving educational excellence at the Education Business Awards

Bringing together creativity and literacy

Creative Literacy

We all know that literacy is the ability to read and write but the definition of creative is a little harder to define: it can be the ability to solve problems or being able to use your imagination. Bringing creativity and literacy together can be a powerful tool in teaching, writes Tonya Meers

Keeping a watchful eye on data

Document Destruction

Recent fines highlight lessons to be learned about information destruction. Chairman of the British Security Industry Association’s (BSIA) Data Destruction Section, Adam Chandler, explains