October 2011

Northern Grid has been working with your school for over 10 years to help you access broadband technologies to support teaching and learning. Find out about all the services you are entitled to by downloading our Services Guide

Are you making excellent use of ICT? Enter your school for the Northern Grid Awards

The Northern Grid Awards offer schools in the North East the opportunity to celebrate their achievements in using ICT to support teaching and learning. However you are making use of technology there will be a category you can enter. Open to all schools: primary, secondary and special there are categories for pupils of all ages. Do you know an enthusiastic practitioner that is using new and innovative technologies in their classroom or promoting its use with colleagues? Or a school that is exploiting the benefits technology brings across all aspects of school life? You can nominate them for the prestigious Practitioner Award or Overall Excellence Award.

Shortlisted schools will be invited to the Northern Grid Awards Ceremony where they can share what they've done with other schools and be awarded with their prizes or certificates. Their entries will be published on the Northern Grid Awards websites and many successful schools go on to write case studies and present at the Northern Grid conference.

The closing date for entries is February 18th 2012 and the ceremony will be held on June 21st.

www.northerngrid.org/awards

Will your eSafety provision deliver an 'Outstanding School' judgement?

Twilight Sessions
October 18th Stockton and 19th Marden

Half Day follow up workshops
November 8th Marden and 9th Stockton

When OFSTED comes to call, inspectors make judgements on schools' safeguarding arrangements. This includes eSafety provision for learners and staff. Will the eSafety provision in your school help or hinder a judgement of "Outstanding"?

At Northern Grid for Learning, we understand the challenges schools face in keeping up to date with changing eSafety issues. We have experienced staff who are highly regarded nationally as having the most up to date and effective eSafety knowledge and skills. We have developed safeguarding tools and resources which can support your school's drive to deliver effective eSafety provision and which will support your quest to become an "Outstanding School".

View more information and book your place.

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Creative Strategies to Support Literacy KS2

February 1st 2012 Open Zone

February 2nd 2012 Middlesbrough CLC

This event aims to identify ways in which literacy skills of learners of all abilities can be extended and supported whilst introducing teachers to a range of online tools and strategies to support all learners.

View more information and book your place.

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Parental Engagement

Schools are well aware that parents, carers and families have an important role to play in supporting their children to reach their full potential. Schools already use a number of different strategies for keeping in touch with parents and sharing information about what their children are doing in school and how they can help them. Technology can greatly enhance this process.

This session will give delegates the opportunity to learn how schools in the region are successfully using technology to increase and improve parental engagement. It will explore the range of tools that can be used and provide time for delegates to reflect on their school's approach and plan activities to be done back in school.

More information:
Parental Engagement (South) 29th January 2012
Parental Engagement (North) 1st February 2012

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Northern Grid Videoconferencing Security and Performance Upgrade

As part of our on-going service improvements the Videoconferencing infrastructure has been upgraded in compliance with the H.460 security protocol. The new service improves security, reliability and performance of video and audio conferencing.

Find out more about this upgrade and improved / extra services available to you.

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10 Top Tips for Head Teachers

Will your ICT provision support your journey to becoming an outstanding school? ICT and online technologies can support your staff, promote more engaging teaching, motivate pupils and help you engage more effectively with parents. For over ten years Northern Grid has been supporting schools in the North East to use ICT effectively.

View our top tips to help you make the most of ICT this year.

The list covers the areas you need to consider: security, eSafety, technical, broadband connectivity, best value, procurement, engaging parents, staff development and environmental sustainability.

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Self-Review Framework

Managing the investment, planning the curriculum, covering safeguarding, looking after and replacing resources...the list is endless. The Self-review Framework is designed to guide and support you with it all.

Naace continues to develop and manage this important scheme and ensure that it remains FREE for all to access.

See their online newsletter to find out how you can access this excellent resource.

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Learning Platform Adoption Tool

We know schools improve when they effectively use their learning platform to support leadership, innovative and appropriate teaching and learning, assessment, data management and communication with all members of the learning community. Northern Grid is a founder member of the Learning Platform Network and continues to work regionally and nationally to identify good practice and share this with all teachers and schools.

Try the Learning Platform Adoption Tool today.

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How do you measure up on eSafety? - Take the Grapple Challenge

Northern Grid has been providing eSafety support to schools for many years. As well as our own services and guidance materials we are always interested in finding out about resources from other companies. We have been talking to Roar Educate to find out about the resources they offer and how schools can access a free 30 day trial as well as special prices.

Northern Grid has negotiated a special price for all Northern Grid schools that order before October 21st.

For just £50 you can put Grapple onto your school's website. It's a fun and interactive way for schools to engage with parents about the critically important eSafety issues facing their children.

Take the Grapple Challenge

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Planet Sherston - FREE Until 30th October

In association with Northern Grid and Sherston Software the special offer has also been extended until 30th October.

Planet Sherston is an exciting online environment for primary school children, packed with 1000's of fun activities for Literacy, Numeracy, Science, ICT, Early Years and Humanities. The offer includes a free Sherston Mega Resource Pack worth £1099 and a 10% discount off your first year of Planet Sherston (only £799).

If you haven't received login details for your free subscription or can't find it, please contact Rob Richardson at Sherston and he'll reissue your details rob.richardson@sherston.com

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