Over the next three months, as we approach the end of the school year, Webanywhere will be hosting more and more free events for teachers and schools. We’ve recently announced a selection of events around the country – and they can be found on our Events page. We’ve given an overview of each one below.

 
24th April: Nurturing Online Learning: Liverpool
Our series of free Nurturing Online Learning events reaches Ranworth Square Primary School, Liverpool later this month – where we’ll be covering two key topics: Pupil Premium, and e-safety.
CEOP Ambassador Tracey Gentle will run through the Ofsted guidelines for Pupil Premium – and then explain how our free online rewards system, School Merits, can help you evidence improvements in behaviour, attendance and achievements.
Tracey will then walk teachers through cyberbullying, how to spot it, stop it and prevent it. There will be a Q&A session where delegates can ask anything about e-safety, Pupil Premium or e-learning. Everyone who attends this event will receive School Merits for free.
Find out more about this event here, or sign up by emailing info@webanywhere.co.uk.
 
29th April: LMS Matters West Yorks

If you’re new to LMS, yet to try it – or need some refresher coaching, our free LMS Matters West Yorks event is for you. Our expert Ben Wagner will explain the benefits of being part of the community, give tips for implementing an LMS, plus give you a ‘quick start’ guide if you’re completely new.

LMS Matters West Yorks, which will be held at Wetherby High School, is Webanywhere’s first event for 2014 – and we expect several more to follow around the country.
Find out more about this event here, or sign up by emailing info@webanywhere.co.uk.
 
2nd May: Introducing Bloganywhere
Webanywhere launched another new e-learning app this month. Bloganywhere has so far proved to be one of the most anticipated app releases yet – and is an important addition to our Jotter Suite. In this free webinar, you can find out how Bloganywhere can be used to improve literacy skills, encourage collaboration, inspire creativity and engage both pupils and their parents.
Sign up for this free webinar by emailing your name, school name and school postcode to info@webanywhere.co.uk.
 

This week’s Head Teacher of the Week is Azita Zohhadi, of Nelson Mandela School, Birmingham. As we discovered, becoming a highly-regarded school in your area starts with having a great leader…

Why did you get into teaching?
I loved going to school when I was younger and my favourite game as a child was being a teacher. I used to make my own register and plan lessons for my toys, teddy bears and younger sister! My mum was a teacher and my grandparents were Heads of schools in Iran so I think it must be in my blood too!
What do you think  makes a good leader?
A good leader to me is someone who can empower others and move people forward without needing to be the person at the front. A good leader needs to see things from many perspectives and needs to recognise that you need to work with others as you do not have all of the answers.
How important is technology in improving learning outcomes?
Technology is incredibly important as it can support children in so many ways and it can bring the outside world and the knowledge of the world into the classroom.
What are your tips for preparing for Ofsted?
Make sure your website is welcoming and up to date as this is the first place Ofsted look prior to a visit. Then all of the obvious – know your school and sell it!
What tips would you give to other senior leaders who aspire to becoming a head teacher?
Get involved in all aspects of school life, do as many whole school projects as you can to drive forward school improvement and making sure that you are well read and up to date with local and national educational issues.
How do you motivate and manage your staff?
You’ll need to ask them that! Hopefully by continuing to value them and caring for their well-being. Also by providing a stimulating place to work and giving them the opportunities to develop their roles within the school.
What do you think makes a great teacher?
A great teacher is someone who feels passionately about improving children’s life chances and a person who thinks carefully about all interactions with children so that they get the best from them. A great teacher needs to be caring, approachable and fair.
How do you feel education is changing?
I think schools have to make more links with each other and share things more. We feel far more of a collective responsibility to support children no matter which school they may be attending. This is a good thing.
What is your biggest challenge at the moment?
My biggest challenge at the moment is the economy and the knock on effects on our budget. Cost are going up and there are far more services that we have to buy into which used to be provided for us.
Think you or your Head Teacher deserve to be our Head Teacher of the Week? Email us – info@webanywhere.co.uk – and tell us why!
 

This week, we are introducing a brand new weekly blog post: Head Teacher of the Week. Each Monday, we’ll profile a head teacher from an influential primary school, finding out their knowledge, experiences and passing on their tips for others. Our first Head Teacher of the Week is Roy Hepplestone, of Whitehill Community Academy, Halifax, West Yorkshire.

“Being a head teacher is the best job in the world,” says Whitehill Academy’s Roy Hepplestone (pictured above). With 19 years’ experience, Roy is suitably qualified to make such a judgement.
It’s this passion for the job and his commitment to Whitehill Academy that has made the school not just a teaching school, but winner of the Investor In People Gold award this year. “Relationships are key,” says Roy. “We are a very supportive team. The Whitehill ethos and team spirit has seen us through the hard times.”
The ‘can do’ culture is also important at Whitehill, and it has helped them become an over-subscribed school. Enjoying the support of the local community, Roy says making a difference to children’s lives is what makes it all worthwhile. “Commitment, drive and knowing the children is what makes a great teacher,” says Roy.
When it comes to technology, Whitehill is one of the most forward-thinking establishments we’ve ever worked with. “Technology is a vital tool to ensure that schools, academies and organisations run effectively. We have always placed ICT as a major driver within the curriculum and also throughout the Whitehill Academy MAT,” comments Roy.
Finally, Roy believes a good leader needs to be able to listen, build effective teams, be a good communicator, develop relationships, nurture talent and take risks. “Stay at the forefront of new developments, communicate early, always aim high… And enjoy!” he says. From a head teacher who’s seen his school gain an Outstanding Ofsted, and become an Academy, a National Leader and achieve Teaching School status, this is sound advice.
Find out more about Whitehill Community Academy here.

How important is e-safety to you?

That’s the question we’re asking primary school teachers this week, in one of the largest surveys we’ve ever done.
As Webanywhere’s e-safety events continue across the country (the next one is in Liverpool – find out more about it here) we want to know more about how this hot topic affects schools. The feedback we get – and any comments received about the subject – will help us to improve our events as well as our products, and cater to teachers’ needs even better.
If you’d like to take part in the survey – it’s just four multiple choice questions, so won’t take long – you can find it here.
Plus, every school that completes the four questions will get our online rewards system, School Merits, for free!

A virtual classroom is one aspect of e-learning. As the name already indicates a virtual classroom essentially is a lesson (classroom) online where attendees from different locations log into a virtual space at the same time. Depending on the platform used, they are then able to listen to the trainer and are also able to interact with the trainer as well as fellow attendees.
Continue reading →

Last Wednesday – 26th February – Webanywhere officially launched the two brand new apps, Jotter Learn and School Merits. These can now be purchased and integrated with your School Jotter website – or as standalone e-learning solutions.

We launched the apps with two webinars. Tracey Gentle, our trainer – and on-house CEOP Ambassador – talked about why the range of apps, the Jotter Suite, had been introduced. Tracey then explained how the new dashboard works, integrating your School Jotter website with Jotter Learn and School Merits, plus Blog and Forum, which will be available in about a month’s time.
Tracey provided a walk-through of both Jotter Learn and School Merits, showcasing how they are simple, easy-to-use solutions for engaging pupils and improving performance and attainment.
Every school that attended the webinar was entered into a prize draw to win the new apps, and we announced the winner – Barley Hill Primary School, Oxfordshire – at 5pm. Already a School Jotter user, we’ll look forward to seeing how they integrate Jotter Learn and School Merits into everyday teaching!
Following the launch, the App Store went live. This is where you can purchase any of the new apps, or just take a trial to see what you think. The App Store is accessible to anyone who has been upgraded to the new dashboard (find out more about the new dashboard here).
For School Jotter customers who have been upgraded to the new dashboard, our e-learning expert Keith Taynton has created a training video.
If you have any questions regarding the Jotter Suite, or any of the apps within it, get in touch with us here.
 

Last month, we announced that two new e-learning products were on the horizon. School Merits and Jotter Learn were both unveiled at the BETT Show, in almost-finished form, and visitors to the Webanywhere stand had the opportunity to see how they could transform learning in schools.

This month, we announce our next development. School Jotter, the UK’s leading primary school website system, is to become part of a fully-integrated e-learning ‘suite’.
To begin with, all our existing customers who use School Jotter 2 – the second incarnation of the School Jotter system, launched in 2012 – will be upgraded to a new dashboard for free. Called the Jotter Suite, it’ll look something like the image above.
The Site button is where their School Jotter 2 website can be accessed. In other words, the website itself won’t change, or how it’s edited – more how it’s accessed. However, the messaging, admin and file storage features of School Jotter have been split off into separate apps, as you can see from the screenshot above.
Next – and this is where it all ties together – School Merits and Jotter Learn will both become available. They will both be accessible via the Jotter Suite dashboard, bringing with them apps for blogging and creating forums. School Merits and Jotter Learn will be available from 26th February,
Eventually, all Webanywhere products will be accessible via the Jotter Suite. It means one sign-in for all your e-learning needs, plus you’ll be able to transfer data between the different products, seamlessly. For example, soon, you’ll be able to download the progress reports of your class from School Merits direct to your School Jotter website system. Ultimately, it’ll save teachers time, give you more opportunities for integrating e-learning – and make learning online a more enjoyable experience.
If you’d like to find out more about the new Jotter Suite dashboard, or the new apps, sign up for the School Merits and Jotter Learn launch webinars on Wednesday, 26th February.
You can get all the details regarding the webinars here.