Bridgend County Borough Council’s Post

1,740 new pupil places generated as work completes on Bedford schools ACCELERATING educational development, work on two new schools with an emphasis on sustainability has completed in Bedfordshire, delivering space for up to 1,740 pupils within a growing local community. The regional projects, Wixams Academy and Willow Grove Primary School, form part of an ambitious £100m schools development initiative within Bedford, which is being led by multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard and Bedford Borough Council. Building on its opening in 2017, Wixams Academy, on Green Lane, has been extended to cater for an additional 900 students as part of a £34m project, with the creation of a three-storey teaching block, eight classroom modular block, all-weather sports pitch, and sports hall. Wixams Academy has also received a £250,000 grant from the England Cricket Board (ECB) to enhance its facilities per ECB standards and make the sport accessible to all pupils. The new enhancements include upgraded lighting, flooring, netting, and bowling machines. Meanwhile, Willow Grove Primary School, designed according to Department for Education (DfE) guidelines, is net zero carbon in operation and has space for 840 pupils across a 3.4-hectare site. Claire Peacock, senior project manager at Pick Everard, said: “This has been a fantastic project to be part of and a great opportunity to deliver more school spaces for young people in Bedford. https://lnkd.in/e34H7kxC

This week's news that academy trusts face improvement notices for ‘unsafe’ buildings has caused concern amongst trustees and MAT leaders. The simple fact is that trusts are responsible for ensuring buildings are safe but don't have sufficient funding to guarantee that they are. It's no wonder MATs and the various organisations which represent them and their leaders are concerned. They are being held fully accountable for something they are not fully funded for. No-one wants to see catastrophic failure of a school building or people develop life-threating illness from exposure to dangerous materials or contaminants. But ensuring our schools are safe, warm and dry (and dare I say it, suitable for learning in) takes money, time and expertise. The challenge is immense. Schools have been in a worsening state for decades. Many of the post-war system built structures are well beyond their intended lifespan. Temporary buildings have become permanent and older, more substantial buildings cannot easily accommodate the needs of a modern curriculum. What is needed is a long term, adequately funded approach to the renewing the nation's schools. A serious commitment to building and maintaining a world class education infrastructure. The last time labour was in power, its ambitious building-schools-for-the-future programme sought to address this by rebuilding or refurbishing every secondary school in the country. But the money and the political will ran out some 14 years ago when the coalition government took over. Cue the priority schools building project and a handful of other schemes and the rise of the bridesmaid bidding rounds where schools are repeatedly unsuccessful in securing funds to repair or refurbish roofs, boilers, wiring, windows, etc. Always the bridesmaid and never the successful bride. It's scandalous that trusts have to eek out insufficient capital allowances or submit CIF bid after CIF bid in the hope of securing funds to address issues with their buildings. School buildings should be fit for purpose. They should have sufficient classrooms to accommodate pupils. There should be high quality spaces for art, music, sport and practical subjects such as science, food technology. Dinning areas, forest school spaces and engaging outdoor learning / creative play zones. They should add visually and practically to our urban spaces, they should anchor and locate rural communities and be something to be proud of. So, whilst I welcome technical confirmation that schools must to be warm, safe and dry and that a trust's buildings should present no risk to the people in them, that feels the least we can do. We need a national school building programme to deliver great schools in great buildings across the country; wonderful buildings which form the keystone in their communities. Buildings that that unlock the potential of the staff and children within them. More than mere compliance - the art of the possible.

PCMC takes a leap for better education and health! Playgrounds for 26 civic schools to promote fitness, fun, and future growth. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is taking significant steps to ensure that its students have access to essential outdoor spaces for physical activity. As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of education, the PCMC’s education department has identified a pressing issue within the city’s civic schools—26 primary schools currently lack dedicated playgrounds. This absence of proper play areas has hindered students’ opportunities for physical development, something that has been highlighted as a major gap in the educational infrastructure. #PCMC #EducationMatters #HealthyKids #SustainableGrowth #development Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/dD232hHS

BAM delivering new 'super school' in Northumberland with benefits beyond the classroom. BAM UK & Ireland is constructing a new super school in Seaton Valley for Astley High School and Whytrig Middle School. The new shared campus has been designed to create a state-of-the-art learning environment for over 1,000 students. The campus, scheduled to open in September 2025, will provide cutting-edge facilities to empower young people to achieve their full potential. However, the benefits of this project extend far beyond the classroom, as the facilities have been thoughtfully designed with the broader community in mind. The new campus will feature amenities including a fitness studio, swimming pool, and 3G pitches. These resources will be made available for use by the wider community creating a hub for physical activity, recreation, and social engagement. By integrating these facilities, the project will not only enhances educational opportunities for students but also delivers benefits for the wider Seaton Valley community. 

Great article by KI furniture offering ideas on how school districts can utilize ARP Act Funds to improve their facilities. Takeaways from this are: 1. Upgrade to Flexible Classroom Furniture 2. Invest in Technology to Support Integrated Learning 3. Creating Convertible Spaces that Maximize Ability to Adapt 4. Store Health and Safety Supplies and Equipment 5. Expand Community, Wellness and Waiting Areas. For a detailed overview click the article below. Let The Pizzuto Group assist you with your next project. Visit us at www.thepizzutogroup.com #schools #principals #teachers #businessadmin #education #superintendents

Learn Architecture like never before from most engaging online courses at Eduwik.com A Safer Tomorrow Starts Today: Creating Safe Zones for Children Read Full Article>https://ow.ly/YE8z50RgWoX Rights of the Child (CRC) mandates a safe environment and good health for children, yet urban settings present daily challenges to these rights. India leads global road fatality statistics, with over 30 children succumbing annually, comprising nearly 10% of total road crash fatalities, as reported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Economic Times. #visualdesign #innovation #urbanisation #entrepreneurship #engineering

Steenkamp addresses hostel shortages in Ohangwena: Staff Reporter THE Executive Director within the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, has responded to presentations made before the parliamentary standing committee on human resources and community in the Ohangwena region, which highlighted the stark shortages of hostels and learning materials for learners in the region. It was revealed by the Parliamentary standing committee member, Utaara Mootu, that despite the average hostel capacity of 500 learners, schools in the region were compelled to accommodate up to 1,200 learners. In addition to this, Mootu said that among the 61 schools catering to grade 10 and 12 learners, 28 lack laboratory facilities, while 11 are inadequately equipped. It was also revealed that learners in the region have a severe shortage of textbooks. She stated that the current situation has forced learners to rent unsupervised accommodation, leaving them vulnerable to various challenges. The parliamentary committee member said that four schools have been consolidated to accommodate Grades 10 and 11 in the region, and only one of these schools receives subsidies for hostel accommodations. “Students from the other schools must endure a 15 km walk to and from school daily. Consequently, the school administration has proposed that some students camp on the premises, with parents responsible for providing their meals,” Mootu said. Responding to these challenges, Steenkamp said that in terms of hostel capacity, everyone has to understand that the ideal is not to have overcrowded hostels. “Because of the issue of making education more accessible to the learners, we find that directors take in more hostel learners. There are two implications here: the first one is that hostel catering is a major cost driver for the state. There is little payment made towards hostel accommodation. When we overcrowd hostels, you have sanitation facilities and sewage problems that are bound to occur, which incur more costs. Yes, it is a major concern. The government, aiming to mitigate these issues, has been subsidising private community hostels to a certain standard. We make a provision of N$22 per day for children who are not in government hostels,” Steenkamp said. She further urged parents to make arrangements with other community members if their children did not get boarding in hostels. “All I can say at this given moment is that the prioritisation of classrooms is urgent for the ministry right now. We are in the second month of constructing 510 classes. As for hostel facilities, following the outcomes of the education conference of 2022, we have an accelerated infrastructure development plan. With the availability of more funds, the construction of hostels and hostel blocks will be prioritised. At the moment, three are being constructed. There were four constructed: two in Kavango East and two in Zambezi with…

School leaders often focus on what happens inside our classrooms. But step outside, and you'll find some of our most valuable, although overlooked, educational assets – our trees.🌳 They offer shade, beauty, and learning opportunities. But with great foliage comes great responsibility. On one hand, trees provide natural classrooms for environmental studies, peaceful spots for outdoor reading, and a splash of colour against our sometimes-bland buildings. They're living, breathing examples of the science we teach indoors. 🧪 But we can't ignore the flip side. While extremely rare, fallen branches or trees can prove fatal. More commonly, we deal with potential trip hazards from roots or slippery autumn leaves. 🍂 So, how do we nurture these natural wonders while keeping our students safe? The key lies in thoughtful planning and regular care. Let’s start by saying that there is no specific legislation about how often trees should be inspected – it’s down to the responsible person to have an overall H&S policy and system in place to show reasonable precautions have been made as part of their risk assessments. But Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 offers some good guidance on what duty holders can do to comply with health and safety legislation compliance. We know you want to keep people safe when they're on your school site, so here are some suggestions: 📝 Consider developing a comprehensive tree management plan. This doesn't need to be overly complex – start by assessing which trees are in high-traffic areas and which might need a bit more attention due to their age or condition. If they are overhanging public roads or railways, or in danger of falling in high-traffic areas, well, they are a higher priority. Those hidden away in areas where few people go near? Not so much. 🔎 Regular inspections are crucial. These can range from informal daily observations where you report any issues before they get worse, to more detailed examinations by tree experts if the trees need extra care. It's about being proactive rather than reactive. ✅ Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. The goal is to create a system that works for your unique school site layout and resources. It's crucial to plan, perform risk assessments and inspections regularly, and keep records to ensure compliance. By embracing trees with care and consideration, we're not just ticking safety boxes – helping students, staff and visitors stay safe and showing kids firsthand how to be responsible stewards of nature. 🌸 #compliancetips

Outdoor learning can refresh instructional practices and bolster student engagement in both rural and urban schools. https://edut.to/3V23C6a

Your school’s core values are what set you apart from other schools creating a bespoke core values display for @stocksbridgenis https://bit.ly/3Kr1kZk #corevaluesdisplay #wallart #education #learning #designforeducation