Press

We have access to a wide range of individuals, both within the BESA team and among our member companies, who are experienced commentators on the education market in the UK and further afield, who will happily offer their insights to the media.

All media enquiries should be directed through BESA’s Communications team. For information about BESA, further details on current news, press releases or requests for expert commentary on the education landscape in the UK, please contact Mark Rosser.

February 20, 2019

UAE revealed as the number one choice for UK exporters

According to BESA’s latest research the UAE has overtaken the USA and Saudi Arabia as the country that UK companies are most interested in exporting to. The findings come as 83 UK education suppliers are poised to fly out next week to exhibit at the influential GESS Dubai 2019, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) announced today.

February 4, 2019

SchooliP Mobile App – Available on all devices

The SchooliP mobile app is now available on all Android and Apple devices. As the simplest and most effective way to manage teacher and staff appraisal in schools, SchooliP is the only appraisal system supported by a mobile application. Our app allows staff to quickly access a wealth of SchooliP features on their preferred mobile device: Interact with your line manager/mentor/coach or appraisee(s) Upload … Continued

February 4, 2019

DocsPlus wins ICT SEN Award at Bett 2019

Education software specialist Crick Software is thrilled to announce that its newest literacy support tool, DocsPlus, has been selected as the winner of the Bett 2019 Special Educational Needs Solutions Award.

January 28, 2019

USC Shoah Foundation & Discovery Education Launch Anti-Hate Video Challenge

Launched by USC Shoah Foundation in partnership with Discovery Education, the Stronger Than Hate Challenge inspires pupils to take positive local action against prejudice and to capture their work in a short film. Introduced in the US and Canada in 2013, the high-profile challenge is being launched in the UK for the first time, along with new classroom resources to help teachers and pupils recognise and counter hate and discrimination.

January 28, 2019

Scanning Pens wins Bett 2019 Exporter of the Year Award

The Assistive Technology company Scanning Pens is off to flying start in 2019 after a nail-biting evening at last night’s prestigious Bett awards in London. We’re thrilled to announce that after a decade and a half’s work in the education sector, Scanning Pens have won the coveted Bett 2019 Exporter of the Year Award. The ExamReader pen was also highly commended in the Digital Devices category, just falling shy of taking home the award.

January 28, 2019

3P Learning wins International Digital Education Resource at Bett Awards

3P Learning, creators of award-winning online maths and literacy resources, designed to help children gain confidence in their reading, writing, numeracy and multiplication skills, is celebrating having scooped a 2019 Bett Award in the category International Digital Education Resource for its world-leading maths resource for key stages 1 – 4, Mathletics.

January 25, 2019

Assembly have joined Groupcall

Today it was announced that Assembly, a venture working to transform the way schools use data, is becoming part of Groupcall. Assembly, a joint venture between Ark and the Neon Foundation, has been incubated by Ark since it was founded in 2015. By transferring to Groupcall, Assembly has found a widely-respected partner who will support the organisation as it continues to grow.

January 22, 2019

New resources for primary schools featuring ITN broadcaster Charlene White launch at Bett Show this week

New films and resources to help primary school children spot fake news and build digital literacy skills are being launched at London’s Bett Show this week. Building upon Discovery Education’s popular Espresso News content, these new resources feature contributions from ITN journalists and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

January 15, 2019

Yorkshire based EdTech company TrainingToolz, is launching a mix of its own, and partner’s, brand new tailored communications platforms at Bett.

Yorkshire based EdTech company TrainingToolz, is launching a mix of its own, and partner’s, brand new tailored communications platforms at Bett. These exciting new online products, which range from British standards training for Chinese nursery workers, to mandatory training and policies for UK schools, are all built on the powerful TrainingToolz platform.

January 15, 2019

Female Entrepreneurs fly the British flag in China, with Early Years EdTech Launch at Bett 2019

With China relaxing its one child policy, the Early Years education market there is flourishing. Both Chinese and international providers are rushing to set up early years care settings. Early Years expert Jill Johnson has been working as a consultant in China, helping businesses set up child care settings. It soon became apparent, through her quality inspection work, that local staff being recruited did not have the basic level of knowledge she deemed necessary. So, the challenge became how could she train thousands of Chinese nursery workers to British standards, easily and cost-effectively?

January 15, 2019

NetSupport introduces a raft of fresh updates for Bett 2019

NetSupport introduces a raft of fresh updates for Bett 2019, including an all-new contextual intelligence-based Safeguarding Risk Index, a new Cloud Console, plus an all-new primary years Observations and Assessment tracking solution.

December 17, 2018

Encyclopaedia Britannica to Mark 250th Anniversary and 25th Year on the Internet

The anniversary also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Britannica Online (eb.com), the first encyclopedia on the Internet and one of the first major publications on the World Wide Web.

December 6, 2018

Stewartstown Primary School, County Tyrone, triumphs in international maths competition!

Stewartstown Primary School, County Tyrone, is celebrating international success after its students scooped second prize in the November Numeracy Challenge 2018, an inter-schools competition run by 3P Learning, creators of the online maths resource Mathletics, proven to significantly increase levels of student engagement, confidence and motivation and to improve attainment and progress in maths.

December 6, 2018

Derventio Education to further their work with The Institute of School Business Leadership

Derventio Education are proud to announce that we are furthering our working relationship with the Institute of School Business Leadership. As an approved partner organisation, selected ISBL members will enjoy access to SchooliP, the simplest and most effective way to manage appraisals in schools.

November 27, 2018

Dolphin Computer Access Announces Free EasyReader App for Talking Books developed with RNIB

UK assistive technology developer, Dolphin Computer Access, has worked with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to enable blind and partially sighted people to access the charity’s Talking Books library using Dolphin’s EasyReader app, completely free of charge.

November 13, 2018

3P Learning and Gooseberry Planet join forces in anti-bullying week

3P Learning, provider of award-winning online educational maths and literacy resources for children aged 2- 14, is proud to announce it will be partnering with award-winning Gooseberry Planet to provide a comprehensive e-safety toolkit for the whole school community to schools across the UK, Europe and Middle East (EME). Announced to coincide with anti-bullying week running from 12th – 16th November.

November 7, 2018

Learning by Questions shortlisted for the most Bett Awards for one product 2019

Learning by Questions (LbQ), the new teaching and learning app that launched in October, has just been nominated for the greatest number of BETT Awards for a single product this year.

October 26, 2018

STAEDTLER (UK) Ltd appoints new Head of B2B and Education / Marketing Executive

Justin Kingseller has joined STAEDTLER (UK) Ltd as Head of B2B and Education alongside Alexandra Harris who has joined as Marketing Executive.

October 12, 2018

Rural headteachers caught in “perfect storm” of unique challenges governed by their setting

Schools in rural communities across England are struggling to cope under the pressure of challenges unique to their location, according to new research released today by The Key, the organisation providing leadership and management support to schools.

September 20, 2018

Groundbreaking AI technology launched in Lebanese schools

On September 7th and 8th, 2018, CENTURY Tech joined eleven other British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) members in Lebanon on the largest education mission since 2012. The delegates visited local schools and met with officials and ministers. The mission sought to explore use of UK Edtech in Lebanese education systems.

August 7, 2018

BESA welcomes DfE’s announcement of an “overarching vision” for schools’ use of educational technology

Following today’s announcement from the Department for Education (DfE) that new technology will “spearhead a classroom revolution”, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has announced that it will work with the department to deliver free software trials for schools and a series of best-practice regional ‘demonstrator’ roadshows over the coming academic year.

July 20, 2018

NetSupport works with eCadets to enhance its online safeguarding toolkit for schools

NetSupport is pleased to announce that eCadets, the UK-based school online safety peer empowerment programme, founded by Henry Platten, will be working with NetSupport to enhance its online safeguarding toolkit for schools.

June 26, 2018

Little Creative Days celebrates National Writing Day

To support National Writing Day on 27 June, we are launching our own writing competition. Our stories feature a little dog, called Pojo, who gets itchy paws and goes off on adventures. So it would be great for children to write a story about one of their toys that goes off on an adventure while they are at school.

June 19, 2018

Meet the avatar helping schools and academies safeguard children

Meet Sam; the education sector’s first ever ‘virtual’ safeguarding consultant, lending a cyber hand to busy school and academy leaders in meeting all the latest requirements to protect children and adults from abuse.

June 1, 2018

BESA launches new exhibition in Vietnam to showcase the best British education suppliers

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) launched today BESS Vietnam, the British Educational Suppliers Show Vietnam, to give British suppliers the chance to enter the education market in this booming country. BESA will be partnering with Giaoducso in the running of the event, which will take place between 5 and 6 March 2019 in Ho … Continued

May 14, 2018

77% of secondary school children believe there are ‘maths people’ and 67% don’t think they are one

In response to National Numeracy Day (16 May) the teaching and learning platform Learning by Questions ran a survey with pupils across the UK to see if they could identify the point at which children picked up the cultural myth that there are ‘numbers people’.

April 25, 2018

What Schools Need to Know about Fortnite: Battle Royale

National Online Safety provides a useful guide for the whole school community for the game that is sweeping the nation.

April 19, 2018

PrintLab & CREATE Announce Collaboration to Support UK Schools with 3D Printing

PrintLab, a global distributor and curriculum provider and CREATE Education, a UK based 3D printing company with a collaborative platform for education, have today announced a collaboration to support schools across the UK with 3D printing. A key part of the collaboration involves CREATE becoming the UK distributor of PrintLab’s 3D printing curriculum and products, … Continued

April 10, 2018

Playground specialist proud to play an active role as a BESA member

Leicestershire playground specialist, Red Monkey Play, has announced it’s renewed membership with British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) - a leading UK trade body for Educational Suppliers - after a successful first year of being involved with the organisation.

March 26, 2018

Let’s Read: an innovative series of 8 books to acquire early reading skills

Two of the key skills required for learning to phonetically read are phoneme recognition and blending. Children who struggle with these early reading skills are likely to fall behind in literacy. There is a shortage in resources that are specifically designed to support children with diverse learning needs. To address this, WordUnited has created the … Continued

March 20, 2018

National KS2/3 writing competition raising money and awareness for mental health

To celebrate the release of a special not-for-profit edition of Striker Boy (in aid of Mind) the publishers are running a nationwide writing competition open to children of all ability levels. The child who writes the best 200-word diary entry will win a football shirt, a £100 book voucher for their school, plus an extra-special … Continued

March 17, 2018

Congratulations to the 2018 Education Resources Awards winners!

The winners of the celebratory 20th year of the Education Resources Awards (ERAs) were announced at the gala awards ceremony dinner, held at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham during the Education Show at the NEC on Friday 16 March 2018. Organised by Brilliant Marketing Solutions and the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), the ERAs … Continued

February 28, 2018

One in ten international school students have attitudinal roadblocks to learning

More than one in ten children at international schools in the Middle East and across South East Asia have attitudinal roadblocks to learning, says a new study.

February 27, 2018

The rise and rise of digital technology in the classroom

A new report released this week by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has found that school spending on ICT is set to rise for the first time in three years.

February 27, 2018

Record-breaking number of British companies at GESS Dubai 2018

As close to 100 UK educational suppliers will be exhibiting at GESS Dubai 2018, it is a sign of the strength of the links between the outward-facing UAE and the UK, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) announced today.

February 23, 2018

Witley Jones Furniture open new factory unit

Wyre Forest MP, Mark Garnier, officially opened Witley Jones Furniture’s new factory unit on Friday 16th marking a vital milestone in the next stage of company’s growth. The Stourport based furniture manufacturer, who supply bespoke furniture to the independent education sector, have built a dedicated 5000 sq. ft. assembly line which will create 11 jobs … Continued

February 22, 2018

Promethean Win Market Development Initiative of the Year

Promethean’s Success is Recognised at the AV News Awards Global education technology company Promethean, continues its award success in 2018, winning Market Development Initiative of the Year at the AV News Awards. The win was announced at the AV News Award ceremony at ISE 2018 on 6th February in Amsterdam. The AV News Awards recognise … Continued

February 19, 2018

Learning by Questions nominated for three more education awards

Less than a month after being Double BETT Finalists, Learning by Questions (LbQ) has been shortlisted for further 3 honours at the Education Resources Awards 2018. The online platform that capitalises on the proven benefits of immediate feedback for both teachers and pupils can be tried for free at www.lbq.org and is already finding favour … Continued

February 2, 2018

BETT Awards – The 2018 Winners

The winners of the 20th prestigious Bett Awards 2018 were announced last night (Wednesday 24 January 2018) at the Bett Awards Dinner held at The Tobacco Dock, London. In addition to the winners of the 20 categories, 12 companies were highly commended. Considered the most influential accolade in the industry, the annual Bett Awards are … Continued

January 30, 2018

BESA accompanies Prime Minister to China to showcase best of British education

Britain’s world-leading education suppliers to be highlighted on the Prime Minister’s flagship visit to China by BESA’s Director General, Caroline Wright. • BESA, the trade body which represents over 400 UK education suppliers, will join the Prime Minister’s delegation to China, which features a strong education component. • China is the second most popular global … Continued

January 24, 2018

The artificially intelligent platform that learns how every brain learn

On a mission to solve the two biggest challenges facing education: teacher workload and the ‘one size fits all’ delivery of education, CENTURY Tech was revealed to the education world just over a year ago. In a short space of time, CENTURY has proven how introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into schools revolutionises the delivery of … Continued

January 24, 2018

Smarter Interactive Announces Merger with Exceedia

Smarter Interactive is pleased to announce that as a part of its ongoing growth and positioning as one of the UK’s leading providers of education-specific IT solutions, it is merging with Exceedia with immediate effect.

January 24, 2018

BESA and Founders Exchange Ltd (FEL) form joint venture for EdTech Exchange

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) and Founders Exchange Ltd (FEL) today announced a new joint venture to run EdTech Exchange, which will be the largest European network of EdTech entrepreneurs. EdTech Exchange was started by FEL in 2014 and provides members with mentoring, support and a programme of events designed to share best practice through peer-to-peer learning. The Exchange brings together like-minded EdTech entrepreneurs, encouraging them to exchange ideas, swap war stories and share advice with their peers. It is solely for founders of EdTech companies who have raised at least £100,000 in financing or revenue, with many members having raised significantly more.

January 23, 2018

British education awards recognise leading initiatives

The British International School Awards took place last night (Monday 22nd January 2018) in London. Headteachers and senior leaders from many international schools located around the world attended the gala event which took place at London’s Grand Connaught Rooms. The awards, hosted by British International Schools Magazine and ISC Research, highlighted some exceptional initiatives spearheaded … Continued

January 23, 2018

PRESS RELEASE: Schools plan to increase their ICT spending for the first time in three years

A new report released today by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) found that school spending on ICT is set to rise for the first time in three years.

January 22, 2018

B Squared’s assessment and evidence management software helps address key challenges facing teachers at Bett 2018

• Reducing costs, retaining talented teachers and streamlining teacher workloads are key challenges facing headteachers in 2018 – hear from a Deputy Headteacher how her school is benefiting from B Squared’s ‘teacher timesavers’ • Reduce teacher workload using Evisense to manage evidence of learning the easy way and save over £800 per year*- sign up … Continued

January 22, 2018

GL Education and SAYEGH sign strategic partnership to bring benchmarking and diagnostic assessments to the Middle East and North Africa

18 January 2018 – Leading UK assessment provider, GL Education, has signed a 10-year strategic partnership agreement with SAYEGH, one of the most established and largest educational publishers in the Arab world and owner of the International Arab Baccalaureate Exam Board. The agreement will open the door for GL Education to provide its assessments to … Continued

January 19, 2018

Technology makes teachers’ lives easier but simplicity and collaboration are key to success in the classroom

Unnecessary workload is a major concern for teachers, so how do they feel about the introduction of new technology in the classroom, does it help or hinder?

January 19, 2018

“More fun than FIFA” – Students and parents give top marks to educational website nominated for major tech award.

Tassomai, an online education tool that lets students study on their phones and sends parents weekly updates on their child’s progress, is a finalist at this year’s BETT Awards.

January 16, 2018

Learning by Questions invites teachers to help themselves to maths mastery

Learning by Questions is inviting teachers to help themselves to hundreds of maths mastery Question sets as part of their Early Access Beta Programme. The Question Sets span years 5, 6, 7 and 8 along with recall Question Sets that develop understanding and fluency. Maths teachers across the UK have so far had limited choices … Continued

December 14, 2017

Bett Futures takeover – January 2018

The Bett Show 2018 is soon upon us. As part of this, BESA has been working with the Bett Futures start-ups, which are all eager to showcase their ground-breaking EdTech products. Since its launch in 2015, the Bett Futures area has been one of the most anticipated features of the Bett Show. Designed to showcase … Continued

December 14, 2017

BESA pledges to boost flexible working in schools

On 30 October 2017, BESA participated in a summit organised by Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Education to explore the benefits of and barriers to flexible working in schools. The Summit brought together teaching unions, school leaders and business professionals and asked for each organisation to offer at least one pledge of action. We … Continued

November 22, 2017

B Squared Presents Innovative Assessment and Evidence Capture Software

Stand G24, The Academies Show B Squared Presents Innovative Assessment and Evidence Capture Software on Stand G24 at The Academies Show 2017 Use Connecting Steps to track even the smallest steps of student progress Assess the impact of an individual’s autism with Autism Progress – this profiling tool is already being used by more than … Continued

November 3, 2017

Educater launch online SEF to get schools ready for Ofsted

Educater is very excited to announce the launch of its new module SEFonline – an online self-evaluation tool that supports senior school leaders in preparing for Ofsted inspection visits and shaping their school improvement plans. The purpose of the new module is to take school leaders through a primary school self-evaluation process based around key … Continued

November 3, 2017

Acquisition moves WCBS into forefront of school information management

WCBS, one of the leading suppliers of school information management systems, has announced the acquisition of KSM Online in order to deliver the most innovative, true cloud-based solution to the independent and international school sector. KSM Online was established in 2009 by former educationalist and Computer Science graduate Saqib Awan. Its product team focuses on marrying the nuances of Ed-tech … Continued

October 16, 2017

Learning by Questions takes off by joining BESA Launchpad community

Learning by Questions (LbQ), the new teaching and learning programme conceived by EdTech pioneer Tony Cann CBE (Founder of Promethean) has this week become the latest company to join the Launchpad arm of the much-respected trade body BESA (British Educational Suppliers Association). LbQ has a team of 30 experienced educators who receive guidance from the … Continued

October 16, 2017

Teachers answer back to EdTech pioneer

Learning by Questions, the new cloud-based teaching and learning tool developed by the founder of Promethean Tony Cann, is under scrutiny from over 100 teachers in schools across 10 local authorities in the UK. Launched this month, the £1million Feedback Study involving 50 schools in 10 local boroughs, is the culmination of 10 years of … Continued

October 12, 2017

British Education Companies Head to Mexico to look for Partnerships

Nine British educational suppliers are going on a trade mission to Mexico. Led by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), in collaboration with the Department for International Trade (DIT)’s Mexico office, the companies will take part in a trade mission to Mexico City and Guadalajara from 16 to 18 October, before attending Bett Latin America … Continued

October 6, 2017

B Squared to demonstrate Autism Progress and Evisense at TES SEN Show

Assess the impact of an individual’s autism with Autism Progress and use this profiling tool to access targeted support strategies – it’s already being used by more than 400 UK settings! Create a portfolio of an individual’s educational journey using the Evisense evidence management platform – sign up for a FREE 3-month trial on Stand … Continued

September 26, 2017

As cost of sending children to school increases, Resource Our Schools more important than ever – BESA comments on PTA UK survey

Almost four in five parents believe the cost of sending children to school is increasing, as 42% have been asked to donate to the school fund over the past year, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) UK announced last Friday. In its annual parent survey on the issue, PTA UK found parents to be concerned about the … Continued

September 25, 2017

True cloud-based School Information Management now available for schools

WCBS announces the launch of HUB You have probably been using true cloud-based solutions in your life for a while; just think of the many times you get an automatic upgrade for the apps on your phone or computer. True cloud systems have been integrated by global hardware providers, including Microsoft and Dropbox, for several … Continued

September 21, 2017

New platform support, features and awards

NetSupport is pleased to announce the latest update to its award-winning IT Asset Management solution, NetSupport DNA: version 4.5 – Corporate and Education Editions.

September 19, 2017

C- Live: Connect join with Institute of Education at Bath Spa University

Connect are delighted to announce they are working in association with the Institute for Education at Bath Spa University who will be using C-Live, our innovative teacher-training aid as part of their teacher training programmes from September onwards. Bath Spa is a teaching-led university, committed to promoting excellence which is one of many reasons why … Continued

September 15, 2017

BESA Announces Updated Member Code of Practice

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) today unveiled its updated Code of Practice, which offers assurance to schools that if they procure from its members, they are buying quality products and services they can trust. The new Code of Practice is the result of a year-long consultation with industry and schools to understand what assurances … Continued

September 6, 2017

Bett Asia returns to continue EdTech conversations in Malaysia

Bett Asia returns to continue EdTech conversations in Malaysia. • Bett Asia Regional Roadshow kicked off in Malaysia with exclusive forum on edtech, featuring addresses from Ministry of Education for Malaysia, British High Commission & other prominent guest speakers • Bett Asia to take place November 15-16, 2017 at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur • Event … Continued

September 6, 2017

Thailand: Inaugural Bett Asia 2017 Regional Roadshow marks return to the region

Inaugural Bett Asia 2017 Regional Roadshow marks return to the region. • Bett Asia Regional Roadshow continued with exclusive event in Thailand featuring addresses from the Minister of Education for Thailand, British Ambassador to Thailand & other prominent guest speakers • Bett Asia – part of the world’s leading education technology event series Bett- to … Continued

September 6, 2017

Vietnam: Inaugural Bett Asia 2017 Regional Roadshow marks return to the region

Inaugural Bett Asia 2017 Regional Roadshow marks return to the region. • Bett Asia Regional Roadshow concludes with exclusive event in Vietnam featuring addresses from the Ministry of Education & Training for Vietnam, British Ambassador to Vietnam & other prominent guest speakers • Bett Asia to take place November 15-16, 2017 at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala … Continued

September 4, 2017

Titus Learning is now a certified Moodle Partner

Titus Learning announce that they are now partners with Moodle! “After keeping the news under our hats for the last few months, we’re delighted to finally announce that Titus Learning is a certified Moodle Partner for both the UK and Hong Kong. Having built an international reputation for creating bespoke, precisely customised Moodle installations, we were … Continued

August 11, 2017

Award-winning children’s product manufacturer ready to grow fast with £3.7m of capital from Connection Capital

Kit for Kids produces high-quality educational products with over 20 years experience in the industry. An innovative, award-winning children’s product manufacturer is ready to capitalise on its significant growth potential after private investors committed £3.7million of development capital through Connection Capital, the specialist private client investment business. The company, Kit for Kids, manufactures high quality, … Continued

July 28, 2017

BESA becomes the executive industry partner of the Education Forum

BESA has been confirmed as the executive industry partner at this year’s Education Forum. The event, which takes place between 20-21 November 2017, is for senior professionals directly responsible for the purchasing of education resources. It aims to bring together buyers and suppliers for one-to-one business meetings and valuable networking opportunities. BESA’s Director, Patrick Hayes, says … Continued

July 13, 2017

Crick Software launches new writing support tool for secondary schools

Crick Software’s child-friendly literacy tool, Clicker, is being used in thousands of primary schools around the world to raise reading and writing standards. Now, Crick has launched an exciting new program for struggling writers in secondary school – DocsPlus.

July 11, 2017

Resource Our Schools campaign finds further decline in expenditure on UK school resources

London, Tuesday 11 July 2017 While UK schools were expecting to reduce their resources expenditure in 2017, the reality will be worse than any time in the past five years, new figures published today by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) show. The report, undertaken by the National Education Research Panel with a representative sample … Continued

July 5, 2017

BESA becomes a partner in the pioneering EDUCATE research project

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) today announced its involvement as delivery partners in the EDUCAtional Technology Exchange (EDUCATE) project, a pioneering collaboration by industry, academics and teachers, which aims to catalyse the development of evidence-based EdTech products and services.

July 5, 2017

700 brilliant young authors put pen to paper

The Big Write 2017 is set to be the largest children’s literacy session in the UK. The ambitious creative writing workshop takes place at Harrogate’s Royal Hall on Friday, July 7 with one of Britain’s best loved poets, Ian McMillan, as Special Guest. Up to 700 school children from across the district are expected to … Continued

June 28, 2017

European Commission selects Scribeasy among top 30 ideas to harness technological change

Scribeasy: Transforming struggling writers to proud imaginative learners, selected as semi-finalist in European Social Innovation Competition 2017 to harness technological change 2017 European Social Innovation Competition ‘Equality Rebooted’ to award three €50,000 prizes for the best ideas to spread the benefits of technological change in Europe Today Scribeasy: Transforming struggling writers to proud imaginative learners has … Continued

June 26, 2017

The ‘Facebook for Education’

Frog wins groundbreaking national bid to support Danish education. At last week's London EdTech Week, Frog Education, the UK based education technology company, has won a government contract alongside Danish IT business consultancy, Netcompany, to develop a bespoke school communication and collaboration platform for 2 million people across the whole of Denmark.

June 26, 2017

India all set for international education expansion

The international schools market in India is on the cusp of significant expansion according to ISC Research. The forecast is based upon data and intelligence that ISC Research, the leading provider of data and intelligence on the English-medium K-12 international school sector, has published in a new Market Report for India.

June 26, 2017

UK EdTech companies set to showcase educational excellence at ISTE 2017

On 25-28 June, 18 UK education companies will be attending one of the most comprehensive EdTech conferences in the world to showcase their world-leading products. Supported by a Department for International Trade (DIT) grant, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) will be bringing 18 UK education suppliers to the International Society for Technology in Education … Continued

June 21, 2017

BESA celebrates the first-ever National Writing Day

Today BESA marks the first ever National Writing Day. Organised by the charity First Story, education companies are coming together to celebrate creative writing across the UK, via many events, games and competitions. For example, our member Scribeasy is launching a challenge to write the most inventive stories, in exchange for a years’ free subscription … Continued

June 20, 2017

How the impact of EdTech is currently measured in the classroom: a BESA report

Teacher EdTech recommendations more valuable than any other source, finds BESA report BESA’s report reveals that teacher recommendations are overwhelmingly the most influential when it comes to assessing the efficacy of EdTech products. 44% of respondents in primary schools say teachers in their school provide the most valued recommendations. The greatest demand for EdTech … Continued

June 15, 2017

B Squared to demonstrate Autism Progress and Evisense at The Autism Show

June 12, 2017

BESA welcomes Havering Education Services into membership

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) is pleased to announce that Havering Education Services has become a member of the 80-year-old trade body, becoming one of the first local councils to join.

May 30, 2017

Educater announce Rising Stars partnership

Educater is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership which will see the Rising Stars Progression Frameworks incorporated into its STATonline primary assessment tool, enabling teachers to record pupil progress, gather evidence and plan against the Rising Stars Progression Frameworks.

May 17, 2017

“Resource Our Schools” campaign highlights funding gap in UK schools

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has today launched a new campaign to highlight the impact of the sharp drop in resources expenditure in UK schools over the past two years. The initiative, which has already attracted support from the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and numerous subject associations, comes following procurement research published … Continued

April 25, 2017

BESA wins legal action in relation to Early Years Resources trademark

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has welcomed the news that the registered trade mark EARLY YEARS RESOURCES has been surrendered, after taking legal action on behalf of its members.

April 7, 2017

Educational Resources Manufacturer Wins Cumbria Family Business Of The Year Award For Manufacturing

Twoey, a British manufacturer of furniture, learning aids and educational resources wins prestigious business award in manufacturing for their recently expanded operation in Wigton, Cumbria.

March 20, 2017

The Education Resources Awards 2017 winners celebrate their success

This year’s Education Resources Awards winners were announced at a gala dinner held at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham during the Education Show at the NEC on Friday 17 March 2017.

March 14, 2017

Chester Machine Tools celebrates 25 years

Chester Machine Tools Ltd, the Cheshire and Midlands based supplier of conventional and CNC machinery, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

March 13, 2017

Largest number of UK educational suppliers exhibiting at the 10th annual GESS Dubai show

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) is pleased to be attending the Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) 2017 show. BESA will be attending alongside over 70 UK companies, making the UK pavilion the largest in the show’s history. The UK pavilion companies will be showcasing the latest British educational resources and services from Learning platforms, Video Libraries, STEAM resources to furniture, assessment software and School uniforms.

March 10, 2017

Hope Education launch their first accredited free CPD event

On 16th March 2017 Hope Education, a leading education resources supplier will be hosting their first CPD accredited event. Focusing on mental Maths and Fractions, the FREE Maths for KS2 training will consist of two 45 minute sessions presented by industry experts. The sessions will be hands-on experiences, providing plenty of ideas on how to … Continued

March 2, 2017

Collaboroo, an innovative online community for teaching professionals launches

Collaboroo, an innovative online community for teaching professionals has recently launched. Created by the Consortium, with the help of a panel of teaching professionals, Collaboroo provides an opportunity for teachers to connect, contribute and create online to teach happy. In its first month it has already attracted more than 2000 registered users and its bank … Continued

March 1, 2017

BESA comments on the publication of the UK Digital Strategy

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) today welcomed the publication of the UK Digital Strategy by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA, said: “It is encouraging to see the government reiterate its plans to ensure that no-one is left behind when it comes to broadband access and that … Continued

February 28, 2017

Competition launched to find inspirational teaching ideas

Teachers with inspirational ideas for raising the achievement of disadvantaged children and young people are invited to enter the Let Teachers SHINE competition launched by SHINE and supported by Capita SIMS. Now in its sixth year, the competition awards ten grants of up to £15,000 to help teachers develop their innovative teaching projects. The charity … Continued

February 21, 2017

Focus Education and 2Eskimos partner to develop reading assessment app

Primary education resource and consultancy provider Focus Education has announced a new partnership with 2Eskimos - the software development company behind the popular ‘2Build a Profile’ assessment systems. For more than 15 years, 2Eskimos have been creating products to help teachers save time and become more effective. Its ‘2Build a Profile’ app, which tracks pupils’ progress from Reception through to the end of Primary, has won several awards with BETT and ERA.

February 20, 2017

Diverse group of UK educational suppliers head to Vietnam with BESA and DIT for trade mission

Nine members of the UK educational suppliers industry will be visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from March 6-10, 2017 on a trade mission organised in partnership with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and BESA, to meet with schools and colleges, as well as members of the local business community and government officials Companies … Continued

February 16, 2017

Education Resources Awards Finalists 2017

We are delighted to announce that the shortlist of finalists for The Education Resources Awards 2017 (ERAs) has now been announced. Organised by Brilliant Marketing Solutions and The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), The ERAs are now in their 18th successful year and are firmly established as the premier annual event to celebrate outstanding success for the suppliers and teaching professionals of the education sector throughout the UK.

January 30, 2017

Deal creates the UK’s leading schools’ payment and parental engagement provider

ParentPay Limited, the UK’s leading provider of school payment services, and Schoolcomms, a leader in parental engagement software for schools, have today announced that they have merged to create the UK’s leading provider of integrated parent payment and engagement services for schools.

January 30, 2017

Bett Awards – The 2017 Winners

The winners of the 19th prestigious Bett Awards 2017 were announced on Wednesday 25 January, 2017 at the Bett Awards Dinner held at The Tobacco Dock, London. Considered the most prestigious accolade in the industry, the annual Bett Awards represent a partnership between BESA, Bett pioneers and the trade association representing the educational supply industry, … Continued

January 23, 2017

Schools highlight urgent need for teacher CPD in EdTech in major BESA report

Schools highlight urgent need for teacher CPD in EdTech in major BESA report. The report finds that there is a clear requirement for training for teachers in all areas of ICT. Some 57% of primary and 61% secondary teachers named this as their key ICT challenge over the next 12 months.

January 20, 2017

There’s an app for that: Parents call for primary schools to go mobile

As Bett, the biggest education technology show in the world opens its doors at ExCeL London next week, research from Capita SIMS has revealed that over half of parents* want their primary school to send information about their child home through an app or mobile-enabled web portal.

January 19, 2017

Bett 2017: B Squared to launch Evisense, innovative evidence management software

B Squared is proud to announce the full launch of Evisense, our brand new web-based tool designed to quickly and easily record key events in a child’s learning journey. Previously available to schools that use our market-leading assessment software, Connecting Steps, from February 2017 all schools will be able to access Evisense and experience the power of our new evidence management software.

January 13, 2017

With school budgets tight, a new loyalty programme is giving over £100,000 back

With the majority of schools experiencing the effects of tighter budgets, every penny counts. That is why Hope Education, a leading education resources supplier, continues to reward its customers in 2017 via an innovative loyalty programme - “Hope 1,2,3 Rewards”.

January 6, 2017

Capita SIMS and Learning Ladders support schools adjusting to assessment without national curriculum levels

A technical partnership between Capita SIMS and Learning Ladders means that primary schools are be able to measure pupils’ progress without levels easily and then analyse that data within the SIMS management information system.

December 14, 2016

School funding formula changes

School funding formula changes threaten to make “a bad situation worse” for the provision of essential classroom resources.

December 5, 2016

Learning & Teaching Expo (LTE) in Hong Kong

The best UK resources to be showcased at Learning & Teaching Expo (LTE) in Hong Kong. The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), which represents almost 400 UK-based education suppliers with combined revenues totalling £2.2 billion, is pleased to accompany over 20 UK companies with vast educational expertise and products to Learning & Teaching Expo (LTE) 2016.

November 22, 2016

B Squared Presents Innovative Assessment and Evidence Capture Software at The Academies Show, 2016

B Squared is proud to announce that we will showcase our portfolio of assessment and evidence capture software at The Academies Show at the NEC in Birmingham on 23 November 2016. We have over 20 years’ experience within the assessment sector and are already used by over 3,000 schools and academies across the UK and internationally.

November 14, 2016

UK Education Suppliers to Showcase Products in the ‘Best of British’ Classroom at Bett Asia

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), which represents over 325 UK-based education suppliers with combined revenues totalling £2.2 billion, is working in partnership with DIT and the UK Embassy in Malaysia to run a ‘Best of British’ classroom at the Bett Asia Leadership Summit & Expo, to showcase the very best of the UK’s education resources and teaching.

November 9, 2016

Scholastic Education’s Chris Ratcliffe elected as Chair of BESA for 2016/2017

Scholastic Education’s Chris Ratcliffe elected as Chair of BESA for 2016/2017. BESA’s new Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer announced following the appointment of a new Executive Council during last week’s AGM.

November 3, 2016

B Squared Presents Innovative Assessment and Evidence Capture Software at EduTECH Asia, 2016

B Squared is proud to announce that we will showcase our portfolio of assessment and evidence capture software at EduTECH Asia, on 9-10 November, 2016. We have over 20 years’ experience within the assessment sector and are already used by over 3,000 schools across the UK, mainland Europe, Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. Delegates can come and meet our experts on stand G15.

November 3, 2016

Research reveals that ‘Singapore’ approach to teaching maths can work in UK classrooms

Oxford University Press (OUP) announced today the findings of educational research into mastery – an approach to teaching maths commonly used in East Asian countries. The independent research, conducted by the Oxford University Department of Education, is the first academic study to demonstrate that a mastery in maths textbook and professional development programme can significantly benefit children in UK schools.

October 12, 2016

Trial Underway for Evisense, Innovative and Unsurpassed Evidence Capture Software

We are pleased to announce that the beta trial is underway for Evisense, our brand new evidence capture tool. Nearly 200 teachers are participating in the trial, with data for over 1,000 pupils already licensed.

September 23, 2016

New assessment framework announced for Scottish Curriculum for Excellence

At the Scottish Learning Festival 2016, B Squared will present a host of new features, including a new framework being developed to assess pupil progress within the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. B Squared is a market leader in the provision of assessment software.

September 23, 2016

Jo Johnson MP witnesses GL Education’s partnership signing on ministerial mission to China

The Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Jo Johnson MP, has today witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement with international assessment provider, GL Education, and China Future School Lab, the commercial arm of the National Institute of Education Sciences (NIES), a branch of the Ministry of Education in China.

September 23, 2016

Parents call for teachers to rethink the traditional primary school report

Research from Capita SIMS has revealed that over half of parents (57%) feel primary school reports are either too generic or do not contain enough information about how their child is doing. More than a third of primary school teachers (35%) agree. This is despite the fact that schools are now recording more information about the children they teach than ever before.

September 19, 2016

UK EdTech heads to China on first ministerial trade mission post-Brexit vote

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), which represents 325 UK-based education suppliers with combined revenues totalling £2.2 billion, today announced that it will be participating in a first-of-its-kind ministerial EdTech trade mission to China. A total of 17 leading UK EdTech companies will be joining Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Jo Johnson MP and BESA on the mission, which is organised by the Department for International Trade.

September 15, 2016

School ICT Services makes an educated move

School ICT Services Limited acquire new premises in Swillington. Supported by a six figure funding deal from Royal Bank of Scotland, the firm has relocated from its previous home on Mortec Office Park to a new 3,500 square foot property at The Courtyard, Swillington. The new property will provide the firm with a brand new training facility as well as office space for its team of 22 employees.

September 8, 2016

Rt Hon John Bercow MP, urges schools to ‘take a look at FUZE Technologies’

In a recent visit to Swanbourne School in Buckinghamshire, Rt Hon John Bercow applauded BESA launchpad subscriber, FUZE Technologies, stating that it has, “identified a gap in the current teaching techniques between visual coding tools and professional real-world languages”. The MP for Bucks and Speaker of the House of Commons was visiting the school during one of the FUZE computing workshops and training sessions which it runs in schools across the country.

September 7, 2016

UK Education Suppliers Call For “Clear and Positive” Post-Brexit Message

The overwhelming majority (92%) of education suppliers say there are things the UK government should be doing within the UK now following the EU referendum to sustain and build business confidence Suppliers call for government to deliver a “clear and positive message”, offer forward guidance on education budgets and to show the UK is open … Continued

September 6, 2016

CREATE Education Platform Re-launches to Drive Digital Skills Adoption!

As pupils and teachers are embracing the new academic year its great to see companies doing their upmost to make life in the classrooms as engaging and inspiring as possible. Since 2013 when Ultimaker GB was launched in the UK & Ireland we have been sharing knowledge to inspire and encourage people to explore the world of 3D printing.

June 24, 2016

EU Referendum: a turning point for Britain

BESA Director General Designate: “World-leading education suppliers remain open for business” 24 June 2016: Commenting on the British public’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), Caroline Wright, Director General Designate of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), said: “Today marks an important turning point for Britain. It is too early to understand the full … Continued

March 2, 2016

BESA calls on the government not to micromanage teachers’ use of classroom resources

Schools behaviour tsar wants to ‘tear up gold stars’ The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), the UK’s leading trade association for education suppliers, and three of the UK’s largest school sticker producers called on the government to trust teachers to decide for themselves which resources to use to motivate pupils in the classroom. The call … Continued

February 4, 2016

New category added to the Bett Awards 2016

London children judge the best stand and products Children from schools across London became judges of a new category in the prestigious Bett Awards this year. The pupils visited Bett, the world’s largest technology in education show on Saturday 23 January and voted on their favourite exhibitor stands and products. Organised and managed by i2i … Continued

January 21, 2016

Bett Awards Winners 2016 announced

Celebrating the best in education The winners of the 18th annual prestigious Bett Awards were announced last night (Wednesday 20 January 2016) on the first day of Bett, the world’s leading education technology event. Organised and managed by i2i Events Group and BESA (The British Educational Suppliers Association), the annual Bett Awards aim to recognise, … Continued

December 21, 2015

BESA announces the arrival of a new director

Monday December 21, 2015: The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) announced today that Patrick Hayes will become its new director. Hayes comes to BESA from his position as business development director at TES Global (formerly TSL Education), publishers of TES, Times Higher Education and its online platforms. As director of BESA, Hayes will work to … Continued

November 17, 2015

Increasing quality of textbooks to be major focus at PA/BESA Education Conference

London | 07720 814208 | Susie Winter | swinter@publishers.org.uk The Publishers Association (“The PA”) and the British Education Suppliers Association (“BESA”) today launch guidance for publishers aimed at ensuring UK-produced textbooks are of the highest possible quality and meet the expectations of teachers and students. The Quality Guidelines, launched ahead of today’s PA / BESA … Continued

September 18, 2015

Pupil exposure to ICT continues to rise despite its value being questioned

Despite a recent OECD report questioning the value of classroom technology, UK schools continue to increase the amount of teaching time using ICT. The British Educational Suppliers Association’s (BESA) annual ‘ICT in UK State Schools’ research findings shows that pupils are currently exposed to ICT for 53 per cent of teaching time in comparison to … Continued

July 9, 2015

BESA announces new director general

Dominic Savage, director general of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has today announced that he will retire in 2016, from the role he has held for 30 years. The statement, made at the education sector trade association’s annual members’ insight day, was followed by the announcement by the chairman of BESA’s executive council, Andrew … Continued

June 26, 2015

Tablet adoption continues to rise; barriers to adoption shift

BESA releases ‘Tablets and connectivity’ research Tablet use in schools continues to rise as barriers to adoption shift, new research from the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has revealed. The annual ‘Tablets and Connectivity’ survey of 632 UK schools (335 primary, 297 secondary), conducted in June 2015, suggests that 71 per cent of primary and … Continued

May 12, 2015

Schools hold back on assessment investment

Nearly half of both primary and secondary schools have delayed making changes to their assessment arrangements despite the Government’s demand for schools to have their own system in place by September 2015. As part of the Government’s reforms to the national curriculum, the system of ‘levels’ used to report children’s attainment and progress was removed … Continued

April 18, 2013

itslearning gets funding boost for product development

Leading educational software company itslearning has received an investment boost from EQT Expansion Capital II. The deal, signed on 21st of March 2013, gives itslearning the ability to increase product development and expansion into new markets, and makes EQT Capital II the largest investor in the company. EQT Expansion Capital II has agreed to invest … Continued