Leicester students set to excel with anytime, anywhere learning as part of Building Schools for the Future programme

Opening this summer, Judgemeadow Community College and Soar Valley College have become exceptional centres of learning, providing technology to engage and educate students. Completely remodelled as part of Leicester’s £235 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, both schools have worked closely with ICT specialist Northgate Managed Services (www.northgate-is.com/managedservices) to ensure its learners have access to the latest technology.

As the 3rd and 4th BSF schools in Leicester to open their doors, Judgemeadow and Soar Valley aims to create the best possible setting for young people to learn in and meet the educational needs of over 2400 students. Northgate Managed Services has liaised closely with the teachers and Local Education Partnership to tailor and personalise technology. This has ensured that the ICT needs of students are met as well as the education vision of the schools. Also committed to supporting the schools on a day-to-day basis through its managed service, Northgate’s team of ICT experts are on hand to fix any ICT-related problems quickly and efficiently and work remotely to ensure many problems are fixed before they even impact on the schools.

Keen to help students take ownership of their own learning, the common technology vision for both schools is to strongly emphasise personalisation and the provision of anytime, anywhere learning. Working closely with Northgate, both schools are now fully wireless-enabled, allowing students to access their work from different locations throughout the school.. Both schools are also confident that the provision of anytime, anywhere learning will help to break down the barriers which currently exist between Leicester schools and the local community, helping to promote lifelong learning in the area.

Mel Berry, Principal at Soar Valley College, commented: “The ICT infrastructure and facilities will excite and motivate learners of all abilities and make the concept of ‘anytime, anywhere learning’ a reality; it will also support efficient and effective models of working helping to reduce bureaucracy. “

Each student now has access to an online Managed Learning Environment (MLE) called N-able designed by Northgate. N-able provides students with their own personalised learning area with the support and assistance they need to maximise independent study and to progress according to their own individual learning plan. Accessible through the internet from any location, the MLE gives each student their own online space to work on assignments, store work and access emails, enabling them to communicate with teachers and fellow students. Each teacher has a digital tool box to enable them to continually assess pupils’ work and offer as much or little guidance as they need. N-able also allows the school to incorporate administrative systems such as pupil access and registration, as well as pupil achievements such as exam and homework marks.

The implementation of a Managed Learning Environment allows students and teachers to share and store work and resources that can be securely accessed anywhere and anytime. N-able is part of a wider ICT managed service provided for both schools by Northgate. Ever mindful of school budgetary constraints, Northgate has also looked at efficient ways to reduce the cost of ICT in both schools and so provides a centrally managed printing solution which limits the amount of printers and paper used. Accessed by identity cards this enables the schools to help control paper wastage, maintaining a ‘green’ school environment.

The creation of a safer school environment was an additional key element of Judgemeadow Community College’s vision for technology. To achieve this, Northgate implemented E-registration and cashless payment systems to help make the school a safer place for everyone.

David Hyland, Managing Director, Education, Northgate Managed Services, commented: “We are extremely proud to be working with Judgemeadow Community College and Soar Valley College to help transform teaching and learning for students. It is an honour to be involved with such forward thinking schools and we feel the benefits to young learners will make both schools best practice models for other BSF projects.”

Under the BSF programme, Leicester City secondary schools will benefit from over £235 million investment making them some of the most advanced schools in the country. Leicester is among the first UK authorities to be part of the Government’s BSF programme which is a new approach to investing in schools to create the best possible setting for young people to learn in and meet their educational needs.

The project will see all 16 secondary schools in Leicester rebuilt or re-modelled and upgraded to provide flexible and attractive learning environments that better support learning. As part of the BSF scheme, each secondary school aged child in Leicester will be educated in a 21st Century environment.