A frustrated councillor claims Lib Dem leader Ruth Dombey is “playing politics” by opposing current plans to build schools in her own ward.

Catherine Gray, Conservative councillor for Sutton West, says “subjective” concerns over proposed designs for the Rosehill Recreation Ground development should be put to one side given the shortage of secondary schools places in the borough.

Ruth Dombey, council leader and representative for Sutton North, refuses to back the plans in their current form as an independent design panel has recommended improvements.

Cllr Gray, 34, who has a daughter entering year five, said: “The design of any building is subjective.

“I’d rather my kids are educated in an ugly building, as long as it’s clean, functional and has the right facilities, than in unreliable temporary buildings.

“I think Cllr Dombey is acting in her own interests as the development is in her ward. She’s trying to keep her constituents happy.

“Given where we are, I think design concerns have to be put to one side.

“The design of a building doesn’t guarantee a good education, and the Council has a legal duty to ensure children have a school place.”

In March, the Lib Dem-controlled council announced an extra 134 secondary school spaces were needed in the borough.

The proposed plans would see a non-selective secondary comprehensive and a specialist school for children with autism built on the brownfield site, which was formerly an all-weather sports pitch.

Subject to planning permission, the schools are due to open in 2021 but it is understood plans are being put in place to open a temporary site next year to meet demand.

However, a temporary site can only be put in place if planning permission is granted. If it is not, existing schools may be asked to make room for children without spaces.

The Council hired an independent design panel to review the plans, which “recommended various improvements.”

These were then put to the developers behind the project, most recently in May, who refused to make any changes.

Cllr Dombey said: “We understand and support the need for a new school and see that the proposed location is the best that can be found.”

“I think it’s a shame they’ve just come up with a four-storey block, with no character.

“The experts have said they could do better, so they should try harder.

“We oppose the school in its current form.”

Source: Sutton and Croydon Guardian

How innovative learning environment has a positive impact on the students and teachers. It not only inspires but also helps in building and strengthening human connections

Designing schools within a community has an immense impact on how communities grow and are represented. Their design is very important to society and its future. Paul Stevens, senior principal, Canada office and Maryam Nademi, project manager, Dubai office from ZAS Group of Companies on the importance of design in the education sector with references drawn from their projects. ZAS is one of Canada’s leading designers of architecture, interior space, and sustainable urban places. The firm has its offices in North America and CIS and is operating in the Gulf region since 2004. ZAS has designed over 400 education facilities. Paul Stevens and Maryam Nademi from ZAS take us through the critical design aspects of educational buildings.

How are we bringing the change?
Vision and mission of the leadership in the GCC (UAE and KSA) is preparing future leaders in various fields of knowledge, enriching and developing intelligence, exploring innovative methodologies and technologies and breaking the barriers between academic and business society. ZAS is currently designing a college for visually impaired which is located in Khobar, Saudi Arabia — Prince Sultan College for the Visually Impaired (PSCVI) PSCVI, like Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), honours the traditions and culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without compromising the state-of-the-art technological advancements and contemporary teaching practices. PSCVI will provide a world-class environment for its students and fulfill its mission to prepare and qualify the visually impaired through learning and training opportunities to be self-sufficient, integrate into the community workplace and to fulfill their aspirations in life.

The approach
Educational facilities have an aggressive schedule with an immovable end date for occupancy because owners cannot miss the opening date and beginning of the education season and they have to accommodate students at school at the beginning of the year. The greatest requirement of the education facility projects is the ability to plan, design, and construct a unique building under a short and inflexible timeline. We have to be collaborative, responsive and find as many ways as possible to speed up construction without compromising design. Various trades have to work in lockstep and collaboratively to make these happen.

Effective classroom designs
We all know how to build square classrooms and put tables and chairs into them and maybe even a data connection and a projector. But today’s education facilities require IT-rich rooms that aren’t used for conventional lecturing but for interactive problem solving by the students. An effective classroom is an “active learning classroom” and facilitates spontaneous interactions. Interactive environment that is not about regimented curriculum delivery but about group learning and problem-solving.

Open spaces
In a campus design, we see open/social spaces as an opportunity to create a gateway link to the entire campus. Open/social spaces could provide platforms to the education facility as an anchoring element. Classes can be located along with grade level and open up on to a multi-use courtyard that is also capable of being an outdoor classroom. Social spaces should be integrated throughout. In The Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, we have arrived at a design that put student productivity at the top of the agenda, with optimised spaces for learning, discovery and interaction. Areas such as “Design Commons” are described as “a gathering place for learning where students are encouraged to foster entrepreneurial ideas and prototype them,” and “dedicated entrepreneurial lounges/presentation rooms” where students can pitch their ideas to outside firms.

Design impacts learning and teaching
Good design creates a landscape for learning, a hub for entrepreneurship, collaboration, and creativity, the facility’s design should aim to advance education and provide a platform to educate the next generation: a creative problem solver and entrepreneurial leader with a social conscience. The imaginative space design should push the boundaries for an equally imaginative approach to teaching, one that will empower and cultivate a new breed of globally aware and socially conscious students/graduates.

 The undulating façade of Bergeron Centre is comprised of a series of triangles positioned according to a precise and complex algorithm

Common misconception
One common misconception is that the best spaces should belong to the faculty. In Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, York University, we flipped the building, giving the best spaces to students. Faculty offices are located in the centre of the building and social spaces, labs, and classrooms along outside walls to maximise natural light and provide inspiring views. This approach not only keeps students focussed, alert and happy, but it also encourages professors to go outside their offices and interact with students.

Green schools
The topic of “Green schools” is increasing in importance, driven by greater public environmental awareness and rising energy and operation costs. ZAS has been commissioned to provide a green schools resource guide, a practical manual for planning and building green schools in Ontario. The development of this manual was initiated by the Ontario Association of School Boards Officials’ Effectiveness and Efficiency Committee, and funded by the Ministry of Education. The committee identified several key issues regarding “Green Schools” that were of concern to its member; Increased information sharing among Ontario School Boards on Green School best practices and benchmarks would be a positive development; Pooling resources to commission an Ontario Green School manual would be the most effective way to bring best practices and benchmark information to all boards. To address these concerns the committee commissioned ZAS Architects and Halsall Associates to complete a manual that would disseminate (in some cases, hard-won) lessons learned by Ontario and other School Boards.

ZAS’ note-worthy projects in the region
We have designed a British curriculum school in Abu Dhabi, an American curriculum school in Sharjah, both elementary and secondary school prototypes for the ministry of education in Saudi Arabia. We have also designed Quranic schools in KSA and two of the largest university campuses in Libya. Currently, we are designing two education facility projects in the Middle East— Prince Sultan College for the Visually Impaired (PSCVI), Saudi Arabia and RIT campus in Dubai.

Source: Design Middle East

A new primary school with just 19 pupils on its roll is set to see the number of children going there increase for its second year.

Henhurst Ridge Primary School, in Henhurst Ridge, near Tatenhill, only opened in October and has now released a series of photographs showing what the £5 million building looks like inside.

It was built to cope with the increase in population as part of a 2,000-home development Branston Locks.

The school was due to open to pupils in September 2018, but this was delayed after thieves ransacked the building stealing copper piping.

It resulted in the first intake of 19 children beginning the term at the nearby Scientia Academy, before moving to the new school after repairs had been made.

Before the children broke up for their summer holidays, the school held a ceremony to officially open the premises – which will welcome a reception class with 26 new children, joining the current reception class of who will move up to Year 1 in September.

Year 2 will have 22 pupils for the start of the new term

The school is also introducing a nursery, and will have four new members of staff.

Head teacher Charlotte Hopkins said: “The inaugural year has been very special.  “As the school is so small it has meant getting to know the children and their families really well and there have been many great events that have brought us together as a community.

“The local community have also played a part in the success of our inaugural year by attending our Christmas performance, first Eco Market and a special concert that 5 in Harmony [of Swad Song fame] performed at.

“The year has whizzed by and we are all now looking forward to welcoming our new children, families and staff in September as we pledge to give the children in our care ‘the roots to grow and the wings to fly’.”

During the opening ceremony, children performed a poem about the school values to the 100-plus audience.

The primary school is part of the REAch2 Academy Trust.

There were speeches from REAch2’s CEO, Sir Steve Lancashire; REAch2’s Deputy CEO, Cathie Painel; and REAch2’s Chief Operating Officer, Katherine Alexander then officially opened the school by cutting the ribbon and unveiling a special plaque.

Councillor Philip White, cabinet member for learning and employability at Staffordshire County Council, then helped the children bury a time capsule with the children’s hopes and wishes for the future in and plant the first tree of the school’s orchard.

Councillor White said: “The new school at Henhurst is just one part of delivering our ongoing plan to ensure there are enough school places in Burton to cope with growing demand in the area.

“It was fantastic to attend the opening and see the how proud the children are of their new school.

“It was great to see how confident and outgoing they are, and how well they have come together in their first year at primary school.

“I was also really pleased to see so many parents there too – clearly the school is fast becoming a true community school.”

At the time of the opening ceremony, there were 19 children on roll and seven staff (including two midday supervisors).

Next academic year, the school will grow by one more year group; 26 children joining in reception and the school is opening a Nursery for three- year-olds and above.

Four more staff will be joining the team – one new teacher and teaching assistant for the reception class; one teaching assistant in nursery and one in Year 1. The Year 1 class will also increase to 22.

The school has the capacity to grow to 420. It is being built in response to the number of new homes being put up in the area.

Henhurst Ridge has joined the same multi-academy trust as Scientia Academy in Horninglow – Reach2, which is the largest primary-only academy trust in England, with 55 under its supervision.

Academy schools are independent of local authority control and receive their funding directly from the government.

Source: Derbyshire Live

A look at the shocking truth of the lack of female workers in construction and what parents, teachers and the industry itself can be doing to change this

Exam season has arrived and for many 15-year-old girls, it means feeling the pressure of deciding what career path they want to follow. For many of them though, a career within the construction industry is probably not at their top of the list. CITB data shows that the appeal of a career within the construction industry among young people is low, scoring 4.2 out of 10 among 14 to 19-year-olds.

Setting foundations for the future is something every parent hopes to do for their child and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning is a huge part of this. STEM learning allows children to grasp fundamental concepts about the natural world from a young age, which will lay the groundwork and possibility for deeper learning later on in their education.

This concept doesn’t have to be limited to the classroom either, parents can support and aid early STEM learning outside of the classroom.

Women in engineering and construction

Historically, it has been conventionalised that the engineering and construction sector has been male-dominated. Despite the engineering industry being one of the fastest growing in the UK, women still only make up a small proportion of the workforce.

However, in recent years there has been a lot of attention being paid to making these sectors more diverse, to make it more acceptable for women to be a part of them; whether that be a craft or technical roles as well as managerial roles.

Having said that, there are still a number of issues which are affecting the retention and progression of aspiring female leaders. From receiving inappropriate comments and being overlooked for important projects, to a lack of senior female role models, many women within construction are allowing factors such as these to impact their career decisions.

There are many benefits to having a diverse workforce, including increased productivity and creativity and even boosting a brand’s reputation. By 2020, it is predicted that 26% of positions in the industry are expected to be filled by women.

How can we encourage girls to consider construction?

It is no secret that females aren’t opting for careers in the construction industry at a rate that has been hoped for, and especially not within roles where workers are desperately needed. It is important to encourage the next generation of workers to consider choosing a career in construction – not only to create a more diverse sector but because the industry is facing a problematic skills shortage. With an ageing workforce and a lack of interest from young people, the construction industry looks certain to face a skills crisis in the next decade.

Set them up for success

Whether your daughter wants to be a teacher or a structural engineer, there are ways you can support her in her early years; teaching your daughter fundamental skills early on in their education will encourage enthusiasm. This will allow them to succeed in further education in relevant subjects as well as follow relevant steps in pursuing a STEM career path.

Don’t force it – make them aware of options

Think outside of the box – children are easily influenced and there are many factors that mould them into the person they will be in the future. By opening their eyes to stuff they won’t tend to experience on a day-to-day basis, they will have a broader mindset and begin to make their own decisions. Encouraging hobbies and extracurricular activities that are related to construction such as small jobs around the house will spark natural curiosity. Even aspects such as TV shows and children’s toys are much more diverse – Barbie even comes as a builder now.

For many children, it is their upbringing and early experiences that influence who and what they want to become – so by opening their eyes to further opportunities, hopefully meeting demand in engineering and construction roles and careers can be done.

Break the stigma

It is possible that young girls – and women alike – might find the work environment within this sector intimidating due to its notoriously bad reputation. This bad rep has had a detrimental impact on businesses’ ability to recruit and retain people with the correct skills, meaning 1 in 5 roles are left unfilled.

With that being said, the roles available today aren’t just about hard hats and dirt – technology has allowed for a lot more opportunity. Construction is rapidly evolving and by bringing awareness of the industry’s diverse opportunities to girls through community involvement and education, young women can be encouraged to pursue a career and be a part of something innovative and rewarding.

Promote career diversity and the roles available

There are many different career options available, with plenty of them offering progression. From quantity surveyors to site managers and electricians there are many options available. Making young girls aware of the benefits and opportunities within these roles is priceless. What’s more, having something – or someone – to aspire to is often all that’s needed to inspire change and initiate action.

As it stands, UK construction companies need to spend more time ensuring positive messages are sent out and get better at celebrating and drawing attention to the achievements of women and the exciting things they are doing within the industry. It is important to take advantage of the digital world – social media channels and blogs are a great way to provide coverage and creates awareness about the work of existing females and the kind of opportunities that are on offer.

Source: Open Access