The start of the school year is always slightly chaotic, but this year particularly so. Between thousands of unfilled teacher vacancies, an as-yet unresolved school funding crisis and an ever-expanding teacher workload, it’s fair to say that this September was a more challenging one than most.
If you needed any more indication, the NAHT has deemed it necessary to relaunch one of its previous campaigns under a slightly amended message – ‘School Funding STILL in Crisis’ – which is highlighting that schools need at least an extra £2 billion each year to stave off the need for further cuts to staff and subjects.
A survey undertaken this summer by the National Education Research Panel on BESA’s behalf found that expenditure on school resources is now at its lowest point since 2010.
Carried out among a representative sample of headteachers across UK primary and secondary schools, the survey further showed that school leaders were forecasting a 5.5% reduction in their expenditure by the end of 2017.
That’s an even more widespread sense of decline than in 2016, when headteachers reported that their spending on resources was down by 4.7%.
With that in mind, how can headteachers be sure that they’re making the correct decision when buying new resources for their school?
Know where you stand
Headteachers often need to invest in new resources to drive school improvement, support their teachers and enhance their pupils’ learning. These resources might take the form of new stationery, the specifying of an entirely new EdTech system, or simply restocking the school library with a selection of new books.
That’s where BESA’s Code of Practice can help. All BESA members must abide by the series of standards set out within the Code of Practice, which are designed to give assurance to schools that if they procure any goods or services from BESA members, they will be buying quality products and a standard of service that they can trust.
This year has seen the Code of Practice updated to include an area that’s become a major issue within schools – safeguarding and data security.
BESA members must not only be able to demonstrate that their staff are willing to comply with the relevant regulations of any educational institution, but also that their service offering is compliant with current and future data regulations, as well as any individual data sharing agreements in place at a school or trust.
The BESA Code of Practice reflects a desire on the part of BESA members to ensure they always offer the highest quality of products and services to schools around the world and provide a world-class customer experience.
Schools can therefore be confident that when they see the BESA logo during that next procurement round, it’s a clear indication that the provider in question is a purveyor of high-quality products and services that they can trust.
