Administrative and Support Staff

A primary school reduces costs by using in-house cleaners

A primary school shows how bringing cleaning in-house has helped save money, in this school finance resource. Zena Smart, bursar of Ranelagh Primary School in Newham, realised that the local authority cleaning contract was costing a lot of money. After a visit by Department for Education Procurement Expert, Claire Dicks, Zena decided to take the cleaning in-house. Zena explains how this process involved a great deal of administration (following the Transfer of Undertakings - TUPE - regulations), organisation and initial outlay on cleaning equipment and materials. But as a result of the change, Zena has managed to gain more cleaning hours while saving the school a significant sum of money.

Bringing the Cleaning Contract In-House

Gladeana McMahon offers useful advice on work/life balance

Life coach Gladeana McMahon visits Martin Forryan, school facilities coordinator at Bradstow Special School in Broadstairs, to offer advice on his work/life balance. Martyn is line manager to five offices and 25 catering staff. He holds a great deal of responsibility, being on-call 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This high pressured job has impacted on Martin's life; all he ever thinks about is work, whether he is actually taking work home with him or just thinking about what he has left behind. Martin is hoping that a visit from Gladeana will help boost his confidence, offer strategies to improve his communication skills and inspire him to find the time he needs to pursue a more balanced lifestyle.

Calm Exterior, Stressed Interior

How collaborative purchasing can help schools save money

A school bursar shows how collaborative purchasing makes her budget stretch further, and goes through the platforms and organisations she uses to do this. Business manager Sue Simkiss from Queen Mary's School, Walsall, visits Sue Heath, bursar at Haydonleigh Primary School in Swindon to see just how she uses collaborative purchasing opportunities. Sue works with the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, one of a number of local authority owned purchasing organisations that provide savings for schools on a range of products. She also uses an online collaborative purchasing site, which allows schools to post requests that suppliers can then pitch for, and 'storm' purchasing event, where schools club together to purchase a high volume of a single item, to save money. Finally, Sue Simkiss goes thorough a shopping list to see how these techniques can help her save money for her own school.

Collaborative Purchasing

Support staff show how they communicate with students

In this video, staff at Homewood School in Kent, show the novel ways they communicate with students around the school. They also show their approach to welfare around the school, and see how it's not all about responding to bullying and personal problems. Their approach includes using the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge, an initiative written by the Children's Workforce Development Council.

Communication and Welfare

Discover two schools' responses to teachers' bureaucracy issues

Paperwork is a common problem for teachers, who just want to get on with teaching. See two schools reveal their solutions to the problem, in this video for teachers, administrative and support staff. Employing one support worker per teacher and letting the leadership team forget about accounts and contracts, which the business managers deal with, is how Westwood College in Leek, Staffordshire, deals with the problem. The school has also formed a cluster with nearby primary schools, taking over their finance and administration. At Alderman Jacobs Primary in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, administration responsibilities are shared and ICT is used to support preparation and to simplify report writing with a programme adapted by the school.

Conquering the Paperwork Mountain

How can school cooks help to encourage healthy eating?

In this programme, we focus on the role of the school cook. With new food standards making their way into the kitchen, how can cooks help improve the health of pupils? Hundreds of cooks throughout the country are already working towards a healthier nation. School by school they are encouraging children to take the healthy option and eat more nutritious food. Molly Parker cooks at a flagship primary school in east London. She explains why food education is a vital part of her school's lunch experience. Elsewhere, Maureen Blodywn from Warley High demonstrates how school lunches have moved on from the days of soggy cabbage and semolina.

Cooks

A school shares how it offers and implements CPD for all staff

Cranmer Primary School in south London shows how it has created an environment where everyone's potential is recognised and all staff are encouraged to take advantage of CPD. Along with creating training opportunities and encouraging staff to extend their skills, everyone who works at the school is expected to share responsibilities. Joint headteachers Clive Rockwell and Irene Leeves believe strongly in distributed leadership, for themselves, teachers and support staff. Several members of the school's wider workforce who are taking part in the training share their stories. These include site manager Dave Turner, HLTA Mandy Simpkins, and Heather Callick who is on the Graduate Training Programme.

CPD for the Wider Workforce - Cranmer Primary School

Support staff discuss the effects of their changing role

A snapshot of how some key individuals have dealt with the new challenges brought about by the changing role of support staff. Carol Clarke from Kingfisher Primary School may previously have been described as a caretaker, but now she embraces the role of site manager and the responsibilities that come with it. Catering and conference manager at South Hunsley Secondary School, Nadia Linguard describes how the revolution in school food has brought major changes to her role. Finally, Kevin Crampton's site manager role at Hexthorpe Primary School has expanded so much it now includes driving the school bus and coaching football.

Dealing With Change

Saving money by using e-office technology

A look at the benefits of e-office technology and how it can improve efficiency for a school, as well as save money. Bursar Sharon Wells of Marsh Hill Primary School is keen to see if e-office technology can save her money, and along with DCSF procurement expert Claire Dicks visits Gonville Primary School in south east London to find out more. Administrator Cheryl Gilbert explains how she uses the OPEN system to order classroom essentials online, and outlines the benefits of using a cashless online school dinner payment system. Headteacher Mark Ducker explains what the MLE (managed learning environment) has done for the school, both in saving money and achieving success. Claire suggests other ways in which e-office systems can improve the efficiency of the school, from paying for school trips online, to taking recruitment online, and then calculates the savings Sharon could make.Please note, The Department for Education is no longer involved in the OPEN e-marketplace mentioned in this video.

E-Office Systems

TAs at Erdington Hall School plan literacy learning

At Erdington Hall Primary School planning the nursery and reception pupils' literacy learning is a priority heavily dependent on the support staff. The school faces the challenges of economic deprivation and a culturally diverse, highly mobile community, so the support staff's skills and commitment are of particular importance. In the programme we highlight moments in the TAs' routine that show the breadth of the work they undertake including play-based learning; EAL and special needs support; group and whole class work; and team planning. All TAs have completed NVQ training which has helped professionalize their role. They lead phonics-based activities, organise the outdoor as well as the indoor classroom and accompany the YR on a zoo trip. The way the Foundation Stage team deliver the literacy curriculum allows for child-initiated activities, often very demanding of the staff. As the Foundation Stage co-ordinator explains: "We just couldn't do it without our support staff!"

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Roles

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