OFSTED is the word state-school teaching staff dread, not least for the endless amount of extra work an inspection piles on to their already overloaded plates.

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The Point of School Inspections

In brief, official school inspections exist (in theory at least) to ensure all schools are delivering a good and, crucially, a standard form of education. There are several areas looked at during an inspection, including learning materials, which should be following the national curriculum guide, monitoring student achievements, and generally making sure that money received is being well spent.

The Independent School Inspection

Many independent schools are exempt from the official OFSTED visits and inspections, though they are still subject to their own school inspection service and protocol. In contrast to the state-school ordeal, these are generally considered a positive and useful exercise – pretty much chalk and cheese.

Although OFSTED don’t insect every fee-paying school, they do monitor the reports these schools get from their own assessors, and recently some of these have raised concerns regarding their validity. In turn this has triggered debate and speculation regarding OFSTED playing a larger role in the inspection of private schools, much to the horror of many.

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The Objections

One of the key benefits of an independent school is the freedom granted to deliver a comprehensive educational experience based on, at times, specific philosophies. This could translate to teaching and learning approaches, the way content is delivered and even sometimes what is delivered. For example, Gloucestershire private schools such as https://hopelands.org.uk/ are able to deliver education tailored to nurture the needs and abilities of individual children, while strict religious-based schools seriously focus on providing a ‘whole life’ approach, with education which focuses primarily on fulfilling religious-cultural expectations and values.

Orthodox Schools

Perhaps nowhere has the possibility of being forced to closely follow government standard procedures caused issues than within the Charedi School network. The almost exclusive focus on religious study by pupils at these establishments has led to several being deemed poor by the independent assessors, forcing OFSTED to step in and consider their future as independent education operators. However, after several levels of talks and promises to make changes, it seems the government is ready to step back and observe the situation further rather than forcing change right now.

If you’ve started up your own business and you’ve viewed a van that would fit your needs perfectly, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are various ways you can pay for it. Instead of buying it outright and using a lump sum that could be better spent elsewhere, a van hire contract or short-term loan scheme tailored to you may make the approach more affordable. While some firms boast their own squad of vans, other businesses rent out their vehicles.

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Choosing the best option for your needs

A positive aspect on the purchasing front is that there are no mileage limits imposed on the vans, as is customary with most hire contracts. However, the value of the van will depreciate as the years go by. While purchasing a van will ultimately lessen the tax bill, it is certainly not an investment.

Leasing may be a more attractive model as it doesn’t require a lump sum, and subsequent payments are generally low. It’s easy for business owners to upgrade or change vans every few years. As an added bonus, there are tax incentives. When it comes to the end of the period, you just hand back the van. Of course, there are negatives; for example, repairs may not be covered by the provider and as a business owner, you won’t own the vehicle at the end of the period.

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Hiring a van ensures the professionals are on hand

Hiring a van from a provider such as https://www.fleetwayrentals.co.uk/ will ensure a professional service. At van hire Gloucester, there is no need to make a lengthy commitment, and you can make pick-ups and drop-offs whenever it’s convenient. It’s certainly a flexible option for firms requiring variable resources.

According to The Federation Of Small Businesses, statistics show that there were a record-setting 5.7 million private sector businesses at the beginning of 2017, and that small businesses, which would be the most likely to hire vans, accounted for 99.3% of private sector businesses in January 2017; 99.9% were considered small or medium-sized.

It’s clear that there are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. When it comes to opting for the best fit for your needs, it’s important to ask yourself if you want control over your vehicle.

Moving to a new house is hard enough, but the unpacking you have to do when you get there can feel even more torturous. For some reason it seems to take months to unpack and settle everything, even when the packing and moving might have been done fairly quickly. Here are some unpacking tips so you can unpack like a pro:

1. If you are moving with a pet, make sure their needs are met on arrival as a priority. Keep it safe in a room with food, water and familiar toys to lessen the stress it might be experiencing. On moving day, it’s often wise to have someone else care for your pet in a calmer environment.
2. The first box to unpack is the pre-planned box of essentials. This contains all your important comfort items, so you don’t have to get stressed out looking for things like toiletries, toilet paper, snacks, toys, nappies, medication or anything else that’s essential for that first day or night.

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3. As the bathroom is the easiest room to unpack for, head for your boxes marked ‘bathroom’ first. All the furniture in this room is pre-installed, so it should just be a case of arranging your toiletries, hanging a shower curtain and laying down some mats.
4. Wardrobes and closets should be unpacked next, as everyone is going to want access to a change of clothes pretty soon. The good thing about sorting these out early is that clothes take up a lot of storage space, so filling your wardrobes means lessening the number of boxes lying around and as you can shut the door on a wardrobe, you’re not making any additional clutter around the home.
5. It’s always a great idea to have the movers place your furniture exactly where you want it as part of the service. If you haven’t planned this, now is the time to get your furniture arranged. For information and advice about moving, contact a Bristol Removals Company like http://www.imoveremovals.co.uk/
6. Anything that gets stored away in cabinets can also be done next to get them out of the way. Items such as bookcases, ornamental displays, shoes and electronics.
7. Decorative items like curtains, posters, wall-hangings and art should go up next to give you more floor space.

The Kitchen

You’ll want to spend some extra time in the kitchen, as it’s the most important and unique room in any property.

1. The first thing you’ll want to do is give it a good scrub. This will also help you to familiarise yourself with all its nook, crannies and storage capacity.
2. Position your essential appliances, placing the larger pieces first before bringing in the boxes marked ‘kitchen’. Now you can unload all your kitchen utensils and it’s just up to you how you choose to organise it all.