Plum Innovations

Building an Ark of Remote and in-classroom learning

From our UK edition

Although there is little scientific proof of the story of Noah’s Ark or the accompanying flood, we are told that building the Ark was no small task and Noah was working to a deadline. When UK schools were told to close classrooms and switch to remote learning back in March last year, many were caught by surprise by being forced to change teaching practices and administrative processes overnight. However many schools thrived under the extraordinary circumstances, continuing to offer the highest standard of teaching to their pupils. Staff and pupils at those schools who excelled during the pandemic were often already familiar with cloud platforms or had been employing remote learning platforms for hybrid learning or blended learning long before the lockdowns.

The Unsung Heroes

From our UK edition

The coronavirus pandemic thrust the UK’s public sector and key workers into the spotlight last year. Clap for Carers captured the nation’s imagination, proving a moment of unity during the bleakest months of 2020. While the phenomenon rightly paid tribute to the NHS, our schools did not receive the same outpouring of support. In particular, the people underpinning vital school operations and communications across the UK received nary a mention. The unsung heroes of our schools — the school business managers, bursars and administrative teams. So what are SBM roles? If a headteacher is the brain of a school, the admin team is the heart that keeps the blood pumping across the system.