The Strategic Procurement & VfM Unit has arranged for 2 half day ‘Effective Procurement’ training courses for schools to be held on Wednesday 12 May 2010 and Thursday 13 May 2010 , both 9.30am – 12.30pm. The course will be held at EDC. The cost is £35 per delegate.

The training course is specifically for schools and will help maximise the value they obtain from their budgets and improve understanding of financial regulations. Positive feedback has been received from schools that have attended the training previously. In particular they have welcomed the advice and guidance on getting the best deal, dealing with sales tactics, understanding basic contract issues and the financial regulations that apply to schools.

Please contact Mel Blagg in the Strategic Procurement & VfM Unit on 01724 296027 or email mel.blagg@northlincs.gov.uk to reserve your place.

Home Access how does it work?

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Home Access provides grants to low income families to buy computer and/or internet packages so they can learn safely, have fun and

achievemore at school. Following the successful pilot, the Home Access programme is now available nationally across England.

One of the key innovations of the Home Access programme is the move away from a centralised procurement of computers to a model where families have a choice of equipment and suppliers. Under the scheme, low-income families who meet set eligibility criteria can apply for a Home Access Grant to buy a computer and internet package from a range of approved suppliers.

The Home Access packages provided have been designed with a family’s needs in mind. They include one year’s service and support, pre-set parental controls to filter inappropriate content, installed office productivity suite, firewall and an anti-virus package. They also include the award winning e-safety guide Know IT All for Parents, enhanced warranty and reinstatement service in the event of theft, and technical and educational guidance delivered with every package.

All computers come with a dedicated Home Access website set as the home page to help ensure families realise the benefits of Home Access. These Home Access packages will be available for purchase by all.

Below are a collection of BECTA information sources to help get the information to the correct families.

The process can be started by the potential applicant calling 0333 200 1004

Information Sheets

Application process diagram
Background to Home Access leaflet
Intro to Home Access general leaflet
Assistive Technology leaflet
E-safety leaflet
Intro to Home Access for schools leaflet

Presentations

Home Access presentation for schools.

Posters

Partner poster
School poster

The DCSF have released details of the Home Access scheme.  Application forms are now available for eligible families.

Information for Parents can be found here

Press Release

• Research shows pupils could improve by two grades at GCSE with a computer at home
• Unemployed parents say having the internet has helped them apply for jobs and get better skills

The Prime Minister and Ed Balls will today announce the national roll out of a ground-breaking scheme to give 270,000 low income families a free computer and free broadband access, under a major drive to close the digital and educational divide between rich and poor and help keep parents in touch with their child’s progress.

» Read more: Free laptops and broadband for 270,000 families : DCSF Press Release

In November 2009 North Lincolnshire Council launched Litter Busters a litter education activity pack aimed at children aged 5 to 11 years.

A North Lincolnshire Council Education and Communications Officer has been visiting schools delivering the pack to children.  The pack educates children on what litter is and why it is bad.  And how it can damage the environment posing risks to people and animals, spreading germs and making areas scruffy.  The activity includes a litter pick and survey of the school grounds or a nearby area.

So far the litter busting teams of children have helped to clear litter from areas in and around, Althorpe and Keadby Primary School, Bottesford Infants School, Brumby Junior School, Priory Lane Junior School, Enderby Road Infants School, Grange Lane Junior School and Bowmandale Primary School.

Most recently Crowle Primary School’s eco team, completed the litter busters activity pack and cleaned the park next to their school, collecting 323 pieces of litter, which included » Read more: Litter Busting.

November 16-20 is Anti-Bullying Week and this year the theme is cyberbullying. YHGfL have created a new cyberbullying section to our website with lots of helpful advice for schools on tackling this difficult issue. Check out the new ‘Daydreaming’ video – a fantastic resource for primary schools to use during Anti-Bullying Week and beyond. Visit YHGFL’s cyberbullying section now!

The NEN have a great competition which you can enter to become a reporter for the day, win a laptop and free broadband for a year! Entries must be received by November 30th 2009.

Are you a budding news hound? Would you like to win a new laptop PC and a year’s free internet access? If this is you, enter our Next Generation Learning LIVE! Reporter Competition.

Simply sending the NEN your news reports and you could be invited to attend the 2010 BETT show in London reporting on all that is new and exciting in the world of technology in schools and collect your prizes.

The Winner and a representative of their school or parent or guardian will be invited to the BETT show, London, in January 2010 to be a Next Generation Learning Live Reporter for a day.

There are four age categories:

10-11yrs
12-14yrs
14-16yrs
16-18yrs

To for out how you can get involved and for more information on how to enter. visit the NEN website.

This conference is aimed as a follow-up to the regional Parental Engagement event held at Doncaster Racecourse in March 2009. The day is aimed at supporting self evaluation and will contain a number of practical workshops which are designed to be taken back and used with staff in school. There will a case study from one of Becta’s Ambassador Schools for Parental Engagement and the keynote address will be given by Simon Thompson (Secondary Consultant: Parental engagement, Becta).
Full details here