When your school buys from an education company, you do much more than engage in a simple sales transaction. Securing a new educational resource, whether it’s a piece of furniture or an edtech solution, can be the beginning of a great adventure. When it comes to the suppliers with whom you work, it’s well worth looking into why they do what they do.

Rushton Parish Council in Cheshire wanted to bring together a local school - Eaton Primary - with the Eaton village community. They ultimately decided that a large, open area was the best way forward; a place that would allow multiple children to play at one time, as well as boasting rustic features that would complement the bucolic surroundings. But with limited time and money, where to start? Furthermore, what would this area look like?

Many schools are looking for solutions to make their spaces - classrooms and playgrounds - stimulating areas for children. From my own areas of expertise, I frequently suggest zoning their playground and creating a performance zone, though this - as with many school improvements - can be costly. These benefits can be huge, though - just look at the below video of pupils dancing in their own outdoor performance area:

Wilbury Primary School had been letting out its facilities to the local populace for some time, however their local authority-managed booking service was deactivated at short notice. This, as you might imagine, brought about a wave of new headaches for the SLT. It was clear that they would struggle to manage the bookings internally as they didn’t have the necessary resources, and therefore needed to find a system that could replace and improve upon the previous one. To solve this issue, the school looked for an alternative provider.

If you know edtech, chances are you know The Edtech Podcast; the one-stop audio-shop for technology innovation in education. In September, fans of the podcast are in for a treat, as the first Edtech Podcast Festival will be held within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Hackney, London.

If you want to get more from your supplier, why not think beyond price? Arena has been supporting schools and colleges from day one, and specifically founded the business on strong community values that still stand 25 years later. Whilst price remains key for cash-strapped schools, many appreciate the additional, community-driven contributions that Arena can make. To see how much a supplier can help with the school community and beyond, take Ashton Sixth Form College in Greater Manchester...

When it comes to bringing together a school community through data-harmony, there can be a lot of hassle involved. As Tina Holmes, deputy safeguarding officer at Woodhouse West Primary School in Sheffield, discusses: “Admin for safeguarding and pastoral support can be an enormous challenge, especially regarding transition.”

Haverstock School in Camden was re-built by Kajima in 2004. This was done with a central focus, by the local authority, to make the school a true community institution; operating as an integral part of the local area and fostering a sense of community cohesion. In the 13 years of close collaboration since, the school’s community access has been managed by Kajima Community. The results have been spectacular...

One of the UK’s leading edu-experts went undercover at this year’s Education Show in Birmingham. Here, they weigh in on a few of their free favourites from the event...

In the current climate, cash-strapped schools are still looking closely after their expenses, and may be tempted to look at free resources. As I was strolling around the Education Show earlier this month, a few free apps jumped at me for their brilliance.

This is the second part of budgeting team activities. Once you have established eight-to-10 budgeting ideas for next year, now the hard part begins. If you have done the team activities with fidelity, then everyone will feel a part of the process. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to get their way, and you will not be able to please everyone.