Westchester Education’s Rebecca Durose-Croft and Emma Hudson were in attendance for the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Summer Business Insights Day which took place on 4 July at The Oval in London. Below, they share their reflections about what they learnt.
In the world of school procurement the message was clear that schools, including Multi-Academy Trust schools (MATS), favour long-term partnerships where they can not only spread out the costs of resources, but also benefit from updates and developments. Schools are not always aware of the resources available to them, therefore, they need publishers and edtech companies to proactively suggest solutions and present clear, concise messages about how their products can meet school needs.
The Education Policy Institute presented the data on key challenges schools are experiencing, with a focus on the disadvantage gap which was worsened by the pandemic. In KS2 disadvantaged children are on average 10 months behind their peers, with this increasing to 18 months at KS4.
During roundtables with educators from schools around the country, we heard that teachers miss participating in focus groups and user testing, which declined during the pandemic. They emphasised the importance of being able to trial products in the classroom, with an ideal minimum trial period of one term. Wellbeing also holds an important place in schools, with children being encouraged to verbalise their feelings.
And finally, congratulations to our client White Rose Education, who were presented with the BESA Make the Difference Award for in BESA’s words, “…taking it’s already well-respected products to a new and challenging environment where its impact is particularly valuable.” We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the contributions of our Content and Services Manager, Emma Hudson, who has worked alongside the White Rose Education team on the project that was presented with the award by BESA.
If you also attended the Summer Business Insights Day, let us know what stood out to you.