School Suppliers Radun have announced the launch of a new biometric version of their already well-known electronic registration system.
The new system, Touch Registration combines the successful, user friendly Sentinel software, which has been used in schools and colleges throughout the UK for over 15 years, with the latest USB fingerprint recognition technology to log pupils in and out and produce comprehensive real-time attendance data. The fingerprint readers plug into the schools existing computers or laptops so there is no expensive and disruptive re-wiring required.
Rob Lewis, Product Manager for Sentinel, commented, “The Sentinel electronic registration system, which interfaces fully with SIMS and CMIS Facility, has been proven to reduce administration time and improve attendance. It produces a wide range of reports, including all required statutory attendance reports, which can be quickly and easily viewed and printed, enabling schools to effectively monitor attendance. The use of fingerprint technology eliminates the need for pupils to carry cards, which can be easily lost or forgotten.”
For further information about Touch Registration, or to arrange a free, no-obligation demonstration visit www.touch-registration.co.uk,email info@touch-registration.co.uk or call 01823 358911.
The Department for Children, Schools & Families (DCSF) are ploughing full steam ahead with the roll out of their new Schools Recruitment Service ready for it’s launch in early 2009.
The service, designed to provide a “better process for recruiting permanent teaching and support staff” is making appearances at this months National Bursars Association Annual Conference and the BETT Show in January 2009.
Whilst on the face of it this seems a good idea; to consolidate the school recruitment process into one, easy-to-use, manageable service, there are some concerns over the roll out of the service. The department have a good track record of producing half baked, mediocre services for schools which aren’t actually up to the job.
Other concerns are that the new service may well begin to draw business from school recruitment suppliers currently working in the sector, resulting in further job losses in an already struggling industry.
We hold our breath for 2009 where we’ll be able to see just how the new service works, how many schools sign-up and actually if the service is it’s all that it’s cracked up to be. If we go by the departments previous history, there’s nothing for current suppliers to worry about, it’ll be a short term fad that schools get fed-up trying to battle with within a very short space of time.
In yesterday’s Pre-Budget Report Alistair Darling announced the fast tracking of £800m worth of funding for school refurbishing and rebuilding, which is good news for the struggling construction industry and school suppliers alike!
The money, originally planned to be spent during 2010-11 is now being made available for local authorities to apply for by Christmas for those schools with plans that have been designed, costed and approved, to go ahead earlier than scheduled. This is not only pumping extra much needed cash into thousands of businesses that will be involved in the construction, refitting and equipping of the new facilities but it’s also great news of many schools and pupils who will benefit from the new facilities
It’s also estimated that 300 primary schools will gain new school kitchens to improve healthy eating amongst pupils and around 140 secondary schools will gaining funding to introduce energy-saving measures.
All in all, this announcement is much needed good news for School Suppliers.
The Government has today announced the release of £1.75bn for the rebuilding of Primary Schools across England as part of the Primary Capital Programme, which will be investing a total of £7bn by 2022-23 in a bid to rebuild half of all Primary Schools.
The funds are being released to 41 local authorities that have met all the requirements set out by the DfES for projects between 2009-10, and to a further 92 local authorities for projects between 2010-2011.
Whilst it would appear that only large construction companies will reap the rewards of this investment, Schools Secretary Ed Balls has a different take on things:
Such a massive capital funding injection will have big spin-off benefits for the construction industry and local businesses, who will be crucial to fitting out the new and refurbished schools.
We believe that investment such as this can only have a positive impact on School Suppliers, with many new and refurbished schools requiring new facilities, furniture, equipment and such like.
Schools are having to upgrade their school furniture, specifically classroom chairs, due to the fact that children can no longer fit into them.
Children are now so much bigger that they can no longer fit into a standard school chair, meaning schools are having to invest in new, larger school furniture.
The government has recently announced that a remaining £100m up for grabs to build/refurbish school kitchens will become available to all local authorities to apply for, in a bid to increase the take-up of school lunches.
The money, which was originally intended to fund the installation of kitchens into schools where there was no facilities already available, has now been made available for local authorities to apply for, which is good news for School Kitchen & Catering Supplier’s
Firstly, a warm welcome to the School Suppliers Directory Blog – the official blog of the School Suppliers Directory – a brand new website that aims to collate the most comprehensive lists of suppliers to schools in the UK.
We’re hoping to be able to update this blog with a raft of industry news and comment but we’re also keen to publish company and product news and updates from suppliers listed in the directory.
If you’re listed and wish to have your latest press release considered for publication please email it to us at info@schoolsuppliersdirectory.co.uk
The Department for Children, Schools & Families (DCSF) are ploughing full steam ahead with the roll out of their new 