Enabling transformation in teaching and learning in Bristol's new"all-through" Bridge Learning Campus
06 February 2009
The new Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol brings together a unified facility for learners aged 3-19, including a nursery, primary and secondary school as well as a Student Support Centre and a 200-place vocational Learning Centre for 14-19 year olds
The new Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol is a new start for Hartcliffe Engineering Community College, Teyfant Primary School, New Fosseway Special School and City of Bristol College. The Campus brings together a unified facility for learners aged 3-19 and includes a nursery, primary and secondary school as well as a, a Student Support Centre and a 200-place vocational Bridge Learning Centre for 14-19 year olds. Later this year New Fosseway School, a special school, will also move to the Campus. As the first “all through” campus to be run as a Trust in the South West, the Campus promotes modern education practice in terms of teaching and learning using technology to engage and educate its students. Working with ICT specialist Northgate Manged Services, The Bridge Learning Campus has benefited from an £8.9m investment through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) to ensure its learners have access to the latest technology.
The Campus is the last school in the first wave of BSF schools in Bristol and will provide education and training to meet the educational needs for over 1,500 adults and young people. Bristol Local Education Partnership is now working with Bristol City Council on developing a second wave of secondary schools.
Northgate is working with The Bridge Learning Campus to provide and manage an array of teaching and learning tools such as laptops, interactive whiteboards and hand-held devices as well as communication devices such as large plasma screens in prominent locations. The Campus is fully wireless-enabled allowing students to access their work from different locations throughout the school.
Learners aged 11 and above have access to an online Managed Learning Environment (MLE) called N-able designed by Northgate. N-able is a MLE that represents a transformation of teaching and learning in schools and delivers anywhere, anytime online access to resources, information and applications for teachers, learners and parents. It integrates all school technology into a single web-based portal including the school’s Management Information System, its Virtual Learning Environment called Fronter, library systems, building access, printing and cashless catering.
Teachers can continually assess pupil's work and offer as much guidance as they might need. N-able allows schools to see a full picture of each student, for example pupil access and registration, as well as achievements such as exam and homework marks.
To further improve school efficiency each member of staff and each student has their very own school identity card which not only allows them access to the school buildings but also acts as a library card and cashless catering card and allows them to access printers. By logging into their personal online space on N-Able both students and staff can see when their library books are due back as well as order specific books. The cashless catering function allows students to keep track of how much they have spent in the school canteen, to know when they need to top up their balance and removes the need to carry money therefore reducing bullying. By having access to all of this information in one place students can not only efficiently keep track of all their information and take responsibility for it, but parents can also request access, allowing them to become more involved in their child’s education.
Mark Davies, Chief Executive, commented: “We have a wonderful opportunity to deliver something very special for the people of this area. Too long the educational standards have not been what is required and collectively we are beginning a journey that will transform, not tweak, learning and achievement. The ability to utilise high quality facilities and ICT to deliver great lessons is going to be a very important vehicle for us. This is a unique educational institution for Bristol and we are bringing together professionals from right across the educational phases to work as one.”
The implementation of a Managed Learning Environment enables learners and teachers to share and store work and resources that can be securely accessed anywhere and anytime. N-able is part of a wider ICT managed service provided for The Bridge Learning Campus by Northgate . Along with educational resources, Northgate provides a centrally managed printing solution which limits the amount of printers and paper used. Accessed by the identity cards this enables the Campus to help control paper wastage, maintaining a ‘green’ school environment. To further reduce power usage the ICT Technician can monitor all workstations to ensure none are left on overnight or at the weekends.
David Hyland, Managing Director, Education, Northgate Managed Services, commented: “We are extremely proud to be working with The Bridge Learning Campus to help transform learning and teaching for the students. By providing innovative technology the school is going way beyond Government requirements to ensure that its students have the best possible education resources available. Northgate have worked with The Bridge Learning Campus Bristol City Council, and Bristol LEP to provide a managed service to the meet the additional requirements for its primary students. We are proud that we have managed to find a solution which benefits all the students at the Campus, whatever their age.
The school has some fantastic resources which can be used by the teachers to make education really engaging. We are delighted to be involved with such a forward thinking school and very much looking forward to working with them over the next few years as they start their educational journey in their new building. We feel the benefits to young learners here will make The Bridge Learning Campus a best practice model for BSF projects in other areas.”
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Date:14.01.09 Ref:NG023
Notes to editors:
About Northgate Information Solutions (www.northgate-is.com/education)
Northgate Managed Services is a leading provider of managed services and solutions to the education sector in the UK. It provides technology services to over 1,200 schools, with more than 350,000 teachers and learners successfully supported by the company. Northgate provides services to every school in Northern Ireland through C2k, the largest and most comprehensive e-learning initiative ever implemented in the UK. It also provides Information and Communication Technology (ICT) managed services to Bristol, Leicester and Kent as part of the government's Building Schools for the Future Programme (BSF) and to over 150 education sites in Hartlepool, from primary schools through to further education. In January 2007, Northgate was awarded an ISO 20000-1 accreditation by the British Standards Institution, for provision of IT service management activities.
Globally, Northgate Information Solutions is a market leader in providing specialist software, outsourcing and information technology (IT) services to the human resources, local government, education and public safety markets.
The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents.
