The HM Governments briefing on the 11th May 2020 gave some hope that in the coming months schools and academies may be able to reopen their doors for limited numbers of learners. The reality is schools and academies have never closed their doors because they have played a vital role in providing care services to keyworkers children and vulnerable children but, using an institution’s premises for childcare and as a school are two completely different scenarios.
This article will look at what a school or academy might want to consider when planning their reopening and what support services or goods they may want to consider procuring during the process.
Introducing learners back into a school environment could be undertaken in a few ways, here are some to consider:
Using staggered times would avoid learners starting and finishing at the same time and naturally avoid the build-up of parent/carers at the gates.
Should staggering times not be feasible then using different entrances and exits for the different years could be one way to disseminate learners around the site.
Some modern buildings have programmable access cards. By programming cards, you can restrict access through certain doors to help keep learners from entering certain parts of the building.
The movements of staff and learners from entering the institution to leaving is one of many overlaps and will typically involve them entering through closed doors, using cloakrooms, classrooms, washrooms and dining areas. Obviously, you also need to consider the need for learners to be given the opportunity to let off steam outdoors in the playground where there may be play equipment and street furniture. Keeping all these areas clean and hygienic will be a challenge.
Procuring cleaning products of this nature at a time when every other school will be wanting similar products may be difficult and some suppliers may have a backlog of orders to fulfil.
Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) have pre-vetted suppliers on their janitorial and cleaning supplies framework as well as an online Quote Tool to enable you to quickly request prices from the listed suppliers.
Likewise, should you want to purchase building cleaning services, there is a separate list of suppliers for cleaning services.
Social distancing will be one of the main obstacles that schools and academies will have to try and overcome and with the gradual reoccupation, institutions are likely to have more space to allow for their learners to be sat further apart. The obvious option is to removes desks or even chairs. Should space not allow for this, then simply placing a red cross on desk that cannot be occupied will act as a visual aid to remind learner to keep a distance. Purchasing off-site storage may be a requirement if surplus furniture needs to be placed into storage. CPC have a list of removal and relocation suppliers.
You may want to consider using signage to instigate a single direction flow in open spaces such as corridors and dining areas. Restricting numbers in a lift to 1 or even 2 people at any one time and opening entrance and exits doors which would normally be closed are other ways to avoid congestion.
Whether it be parents, suppliers or contractors the way in which external visitors are greeted and given access to buildings will need to be considered.
Planned visits – you could issue visitor information in advance by email. This information could contain your policy for social distancing. You could ask visitors to bring their own PPE and provide them with a list of your expectations.
Unexpected visitors – your Reception Team will need to be prepared and have knowledge of the procedures in place. A ready-made visitor pack could be distributed which contains items such as sanitising wipes, tissue, mask, anti-bac gel and a copy of your safety policy and procedures. Many of these items can be purchased from CPC’s PPE, Clothing and Uniforms list of suppliers.
Reception areas are typically designed to be a welcoming space and contain flowers, newsletters, and other publications. The removal of these items is wise as is the removal or reduction in visitor hospitality. Where hospitality is given, the consideration of disposable cups and bottles would reduce the chance of cross-contamination. A list of suppliers who can offer different types of disposables is available on CPC’s Catering Equipment page.
Some maintenance tasks may have been postponed during the closure period. During your planning to ensure your institution is safe to reopen, you may wish to consider getting up to date with your statutory requirements. Getting these checks completed before the school reopens will not only ensure it is safe but will also avoid the need to additional visitors once you are open. CPC have a list of pre-vetted suppliers who can support you in undertaking any statutory maintenance checks/tests.
Every great school and academy has a great team and it is during this planning stage that the team needs to come together. The School Leadership Team will be busy overseeing various tasks:
It has only been 5 weeks that schools and academies have been closed but it must feel like a lifetime and although the reopening of the doors to your learners is an exciting prospect, there is planning to be done before the event.
Crescent Purchasing Consortium and Tenet Education Services are both owned by CPL Group an education sector charity with over 20 years’ experience of supporting schools to purchase goods and services. Both organisations operate as a not-for-profit service and are ready to give you any support you require, many of which are free to access, so do not struggle alone as our team are ready to assist.
The experience of reopening your doors and seeing the smiling faces of your learners coming back to school should be embraced.
On behalf of everyone at CPL Group, thank you for your support towards key workers and vulnerable children during these unprecedented times.
The Government has published guidance documents on how to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020, links are available below:
Actions for educational and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020
Implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings
I joined Tenet in 2009 having previously worked in an FE College as a Procurement Manager. My new role with Tenet allowed me to grow as a Procurement Professional and share my knowledge with many other education establishments.
I joined as a Procurement Manager with responsibility for line managing a small team who were supporting our managed procurement customers in the North of England. The quantity of customers expanded as did the team, and with this came the opportunity to take on a Directors position. Working alongside the Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, and two other Operations Directors I became a Board member.
In 2016 the Managing Director took the decision to semi-retire and I was appointed into the role of Managing Director.
Changing jobs is always a gamble and the move to Tenet has proven to have been an excellent career choice for me. I am part of an energetic, pro-active team where everyone’s contribution matters. I am part of a supportive and professional Group Leadership Team, and I am part of a business that is people orientated and focused of delivering the excellent customer service. I consider it a privilege to be part of the Tenet team and the wider CPL Group.
I began my career with Tenet Education Services in December 2018 as a full time Procurement Consultant as a part of Tenet’s On Demand Team based in the South East. However, I already had a really good knowledge and understanding of both Tenet as a company and its employees through my previous role at Tenet’s sister company Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) where I contract managed the IT frameworks for 2 years.
As a part of Tenet’s On Demand Team, I manage a variety of one off tender projects for our customers. These can be for any requirements the customer may have, for example Building Cleaning Services, to Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance Services, IT tenders etc. Also, using a variety of different procurement processes to provide the customer with an excellent finished contract at the end of the process, for example, running full OJEU restricted or open tender, further competitions using frameworks etc. I manage the customer’s tender process for them from start to finish, from collating requirements and building tender documents, to holding site visits and presentations to evaluating supplier responses and issuing formal feedback letters to suppliers.
My role is home based with travel to different customer locations in the local area depending on the project I am working on. I really enjoy this part of my job and having the opportunity to visit customers face to face to discuss their requirements. Also, despite being home based, colleagues are always at the end of a phone or email if you have any questions or need some advice! I also really enjoy having the opportunity to work on a variety of tender projects for an array of customer requirements. I feel this has greatly helped in developing both my procurement knowledge and knowledge of Education sector contracts.
I’m currently studying to achieve my CIPS Qualifications and I am in the final year of my studies which I hope to complete next year. Tenet have been great and really supportive throughout my studies, helping to fund the course costs which has enabled me to further develop and build on my procurement knowledge and expertise. Both Tenet and CPC have fully supported me throughout the last two years whilst I have been studying, allowing time out of the business to take exams etc.
I really enjoy my role as Procurement Consultant for Tenet Education Services and the variety and flexibility that working as part of the On Demand Team offers. I look forward to continuing to develop my knowledge and skills both through CIPS training and through working as a part of the On Demand Team!
I have recently joined Tenet as a Procurement Consultant, a role which supports my work/life balance requirements, working three days per week. I could tell at interview that Tenet would be a great company to join – not only from interaction with the MD and my potential line manager, but also from the warmth of the welcome through the door from those who are now my colleagues both within Tenet and within our sister organisation Crescent Purchasing Consortium. I had no doubts in accepting the offer when it came through and the support that I received from HR colleagues in the weeks before I actually started only reinforced the feeling that I had made the right decision!
As a Procurement Consultant, I support a FE College and a HE college – both located in the Greater Manchester area, in a role that really plays to my strengths. The role builds on all of the elements of procurement skills that I have developed both as a Procurement Officer and as a Category Manager in previous roles, blending these traits with business improvement techniques and customer service skills that I have honed during my 30+ years in private practice and within the public sector.
Secondments into client organisations are nothing new to me and working in the colleges that I support is a wonderful way to raise my profile within their organisations and make myself available to them, which is key to the success of providing consultancy support to our client base. Like many Tenet colleagues, I am the go-to Tenet person within the colleges that I support and I sit at the heart of their procurement decision making functions. This does not leave me isolated from Tenet, and I am in regular touch with my manager. I am also part of a wide network of colleagues who share ideas and support each other from locations across the UK. This, coupled with the central resources we have at our fingertips makes me feel both supported and empowered at the same time.
A typical day will see me reviewing organisational spend, advising budget holders on aspects of procurement technique, managing procurement processes, developing potential for collaboration, feeding back into wider organisational frameworks development and generally reacting to what comes through the door. I am at my desk three days a week, so diary management and communication is key to ensuring that my clients are supported across the entire week. I am not alone in this style of working and many of my colleagues have work patterns that span 2, 3, 4 and 5 days each week. This gives our customers the flexibility they need for their procurement activity support and the mix of days that I and my colleagues work ensures that there is always a Tenet presence when our clients need it.
I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity of joining the Tenet team and look forward to continuing to develop as a chartered procurement and supply specialist in such a friendly, supportive and professional environment.