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LOGISTICS

Developing company/site educational strategies/policies

Educational Audits

An educational audit and strategy will contain detailed analysis of the types of items identified on the checklists below, and appropriate policy/action responses to them in the form of a budgeted action plan. As such, it is likely to be a reasonably detailed and possibly lengthy document which should evolve over time and be updated. It would be inappropriate to include a full version here. Three representative summaries of key aspects and results are therefore reproduced in Appendix 18.

The first step in the process is to carry out an audit of the relevant assets and a brief "SWOT analysis" to enable planning to be focused and soundly based.

An educational audit should typically include:

List of subject matters which could be offered, e.g. related to:

a) Earth science
b) Materials
c) Processing - primary and 'value added'
d) Environmental aspects - including landscaping, dust/noise suppression, restoration/after use, energy usage, ecology
e) Transport/logistics
f) Management/decision-making
g) Historical aspects

NB: (1) some of these subjects may overlap
(2) particularly at site level, the health and safety audit must go hand in hand with the educational audit.

After initial considerations, it will be important to share such information at an early stage with someone having a good knowledge of the needs of potential educational users. Often this will be a local school contact, but remember that individual teachers usually concentrate on specific subject or school groups and your "offer" may be far broader, or outside their field, and of appeal to other groups.

Identify appropriate 'stories/messages based on the above.

Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). These and the approach adopted will obviously vary if conducted at company, area or site level, as will the level of detail at which health and safety considerations influence decisions. For example at company level, policies may be established which prohibit children under X years from entering sites or say to a given type of plant area in all cases, but the company as a whole may for example chose to concentrate particularly say upon science, citizenship and environmental matters. In a more local context, these policies may be applied and more specifically areas of a site identified as ideal for say Earth science, learning about ecology (both within "science"), and decision-making - such areas or themes could even be "mapped out on a site plan in many cases". However a health and safety overlay may eliminate some key areas. It is then necessary to ask if health and safety restrictions can be alleviated e.g. by using a different route, introducing new barriers or use of an alternative means of delivery e.g. a working face may provide an excellent geological subject for study, but is unlikely to be physically accessible on safety grounds; however it may be capable of study at long range using optics/cameras or indirectly by video or DVD, displays of rock specimens/products.

At site level therefore, mark areas of particular relevance to the above, on a plan/or, identify if additional accommodation is required.

In addition, identify areas for the following essential features on a plan:

a) Reception/parking - including coaches if required
b) Briefing areas/room
c) Toilets
d) Routes/access points (particularly steps/slopes/distances)
e) Signing points
f) Key viewpoints

Calculate acceptable or projected "unit" demand eg in terms of classes (average class size - primary: c 30, secondary: c25), family groups, etc. and frequency per year - in year 1, year 2, etc.

Reassess health and safety issues (increase/decrease provision where appropriate.

Check capacities - can the areas/vehicles/buildings accommodate anticipated demand. Consider what staff are available.

Identify appropriate media to be used

At many points in the above process, it is vital to liaise with potential users.

On the basis of these findings, prepare Implementation Plan/ Phased Programme.