Ensuring that students gain quality information from Education Publishers, Learning Grids and the internet, while avoiding harmful content

There is no doubt that there are many students who have grown so used to the internet that they see it as a prime source of information. For them books have ceased to be a central reference point for their studies.

Unfortunately, because of the range of material on the internet, this can be a particular problem. Indeed, as the January 2012 Ofsted framework says, it is vital for schools to minimise the risk to young people through having effective procedures for safeguarding.

So the question is, how can schools provide access to quality information without risk, and without a lot of extra work for you and your colleagues?

The answer many schools have discovered is Autology, an online service which needs no local software to install and maintain.

Autology is an educational search engine, within which all content is verified and mapped to the curriculum. It thus allows students to find the information they need, with the added guarantee that what they are finding is quality information.

It means that all students can access the very best and most informative materials online, either at home or in the school. The Autology resources include online versions of many Heinemann books, Letts text books, encyclopaedias and access to over 1000 web sources.

Through its “walled garden” approach to using the internet it is therefore possible for you to switch off access to Google and instead focus on highly reliable and, above all, safe resources.

However, that is not all. As we know, Ofsted also requires that schools narrow the gaps between the performance of different groups of students in the school.

The Autology approach assists in narrowing this gap by particularly aiding those students who find research and identifying appropriate resources difficult or unengaging.

In short, Autology meets the requirement of Ofsted by successfully engaging students in their learning. This enables them to develop the skills to learn for themselves, and enables the setting of appropriate homework to help develop these skills. This in turn helps to develop their understanding by providing equality of access to resources when they carry out their homework.

As a result students still use the same amount of time as before, but you will now know that time is focussed on retrieving and using information of the highest quality.

To see how Autology works a free trial is available by clicking here.

Alternatively, to talk through any aspect of our service please call 01244 560966 or email keithe@autology.org

You can also view the product at www.autology.org

Autology is provided by Autology World Ltd, Daresbury Innovation Centre, Science & Innovation Campus, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Cheshire, WA4 4FS

Help for SBMS in time management with TES

Now there’s help for school business managers who want to work more effectively.

PropertyPrefect from TES Foundation is already helping thousands of school users achieve better buildings management by taking the time, money and hassle out of premises maintenance and health and safety. Find out more.

Our new Suppliers and Connections module helps SBMs work together, sharing practical information on which local suppliers offer great service and value.

If you knew what other SBMs knew about local suppliers, wouldn’t you save time?

If you’re already working with other schools, in a cluster, federation, partnership or group of Academies, TES Foundation gives you the online tools to stay connected and share data effortlessly.

If you’re on your own, it’s the quick and simple way to make connections.

Set your supplier database up quickly and easily; you can even import your existing contacts from a spreadsheet.
Notify suppliers of issues with one click.
Invite other schools to connect and share your supplier list.
The more connections you have, the more shared information you will have access to.
Use our star rating system and comments from other school business managers to find the best person for the job.
Add reviews to your own suppliers and share them with other schools.
An excellent tool for clusters, federations, partnerships and groups of academies.
Book a free online demo now. You’ll know within 15 minutes whether TES Foundation can help you.

A potential Doctor in your class?

Deciding to study medicine is obviously a big commitment both for students and their families, and making this decision is even more difficult if the family has no background in medicine.

At Gap Medics we offer students (aged 16 and over) the opportunity to see what the world of medicine is really like. Through our facilities they travel to Africa, India, The Caribbean or Thailand to shadow experienced doctors and healthcare professionals.

Not only does this experience help students to make the right decision about their future career, it is also a useful addition for their UCAS forms.

Recognised by the majority of British medical schools, our hospital work experience is ideal for those students who are interested in medicine, nursing, dentistry or midwifery.

In terms of the practicalities, students are met at the airport by one of our specialist staff team members and are looked after by an extensive staff team throughout their stay.

If you have any students who are interested in a career in medicine, there are several ways of giving them the relevant information.

First, you can of course pass on this email.
Second you can direct the student to our website at www.gapmedics.co.uk to find out a lot of detailed information regarding the placements
Third you can click here to print out some information to pass to your prospective healthcare students.
Finally they can call us on 0191 269 6818 or email us at info@gapmedics.com and we’ll send a brochure in the post.
Regards
Mark Hinksman
Business Development Director

Gap Medics – Launching medical careers
Collingwood Buildings
38 Collingwood Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1JF

T. +44 (0)191 269 6818
F. +44 (0)191 229 9501
E. mark@gapmedics.com
W. www.gapmedics.com