2 Apr 2009 13:56
For immediate release 2 April 2009
AMTEUS PLC
("Amteus" or the "Company")
DCSF approves imJack offering for specialist redesignating schools
Amteus is pleased to announce that the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust ("SSAT"), one of the world's leading schools networks with a membership of over 5,000 schools and organisations, has signed an exclusive memorandum of understanding confirming that all schools applying for Department for Children, Schools and Families ("DCSF") redesignation* through the SSAT will be offered imJack, the Company's secure Web 2.0 communication and collaboration platform. The offer, which applies to approximately 90% of secondary schools in England, has been agreed by the DCSF.
The DCSF has also confirmed that each redesignating school taking up the imJack platform will be eligible for a £15,000 credit towards the £25,000 qualifying criteria for a £25,000 DCSF capital grant - equivalent to delivering £2.25 million of government funding for schools. **
Around 1,000 schools apply to the DCSF for redesignation every year. The offer of imJack to redesignating schools will be made available to an initial group of 150 redesignating schools, covering approximately 450,000 users. imJack is now working with the SSAT to deliver the sponsorship programme to schools.
Len Sanderson, CEO of Amteus, said: "We are very pleased to have secured the formal support of the DCSF for the roll-out of imJack to specialist redesignating schools. Amteus is committed to providing all pupils, teachers and parents in the UK with access to the best educational technology and content. Our sponsorship model enables us to deliver imJack to schools wholly free of charge, thereby ensuring that this platform is available to all educational establishments."
* Further information on redesignation is shown below.
** This figure is based on each of the initial 150 redesignating schools receiving £15,000 government funding.
For further information, please contact:
| Amteus plc Len Sanderson, CEO | Tel: 01653 618016 www.amteus.com |
| John East & Partners Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker) John East/Simon Clements | Tel: 020 7628 2200 |
| Daniel Stewart & Company (Joint Broker) Martin Lampshire/Stewart Dick | Tel: 020 7776 6550 |
| Rawlings Financial PR Ltd Catriona Valentine | Tel: 01653 618016 |
About imJack
imJack enables teachers and parents to communicate with and guide students, while removing the many dangers of using unregulated public sites. It operates on a secure system by separating a defined user network from general internet traffic and by using SSL encryption technology to maintain privacy and security for all users.
Students can upload and download homework, share ideas and collaborate with teachers and peers through messaging or video conferencing, which is an integral part of the system. imJack is centrally administered, so the school alone decides who can and cannot be part of the network.
imJack automatically logs and creates a permanent record of communication between the parties on the system. This is only accessible by the administrator for safety, security and legal reasons. imJack also allows truly live interactive collaborative working with features including real-time drawing exchange, video conferencing and document management. In this way, teachers and pupils can exchange documents and sketches, while maintaining a video conference link.
imJack software is offered as a software package hosted on open source technology. Additional modules include an interactive calendar, real time surveys and polls, as well as educational content, tutorials, news aggregation and explanatory journalism, etc.
The Company now has strategic alliances through its MOU's with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust ("SSAT"), and the e-Learning Foundation, a national charity dedicated to ensuring that every child in the UK has home access to technology for their studies.
The Amteus business model provides imJack free to schools, colleges and universities and aims to generate income from both sponsorship and digital news. This income is shared with those schools, colleges and universities, providing them with an additional contribution on top of their funding from the private sector.
About the SSAT
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to raising levels of achievement in secondary education. It has a membership of over 5,000 schools and organisations and is a registered charity.
The SSAT aims to give practical support to transforming secondary education in England by building and enabling a world-class network of innovative, high-performing secondary schools in partnership with business and the wider community.
www.specialistschools.org.uk
Redesignation
The Specialist Schools Programme seeks to encourage schools to focus on their chosen specialisms. The schools can achieve this through partnerships with private sector sponsors and through additional government grants.
There are 12 specialist areas: arts, business & enterprise, engineering, humanities, language, mathematics & computing, music, science, special specialism, sports, technology and vocational.
The Specialist Programme Development Team assists schools which are seeking initial designation as a specialist school and existing specialist schools seeking designation in later phases of the programme.
How does the funding work?
When a school seeks to redesignate itself as a specialist school, it typically engages with businesses and employers in the form of one or more reciprocal, long-term partnerships.
In order to be able to redesignate itself the school is required to source £25,000 of support, which can be provided in the form of cash, goods or services. At least £10,000 of this support must be from a company or a business.
The Government will, in the form of a grant, match the £25,000 raised by the school which effectively means the school benefits from total support of £50,000.