01. International Schools Training, Dublin, October 6-10

A series of training workshops tailored specifically to International Schools’ needs is planned for October. Courses include reporting and advanced reporting, attendance, scheduling, ePortal, cover and assessment.

Previous training sessions in Bonn elicited a very positive response from those who attended: "The training was specifically geared towards the needs of international schools with all manuals recently re-written for that particular market."

"To come away from a course with material that you have had the opportunity to road test is always valuable. This time I came away with much more: with new contacts; with the assurance that there is a commitment to developing training for international schools at Serco and with the confidence to put what I had learnt into practice."

Training sessions include reporting, advanced reporting, scheduling, ePortal, assessment, attendance and cover. The next series of courses will be held in Dublin on October 6-10.
For more details and to book your place, contact Leonora on 00441 332 826 829.

02. Extra Hours and Better Support

Technical support for International Schools has been transferred to our Derby office to offer a more effective service to Facility users.

The change means that we can provide extra hours of telephone support. The office is now open 8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 3.30 pm Friday, UK time.

Call 0044 8456 888 400 and choose option 4 for international support. Telephoning will put you in contact with International Software Support Specialist Stephen Bailey, who is your first line contact. He is backed by a team of specialists who have particular knowledge of each different Facility function.

There is also a dedicated email address for International Schools facility.is@serco.com

To gain access to support materials you need to have a username and password to log in to the site. To create your login details fill in the log in form by clicking here.

03. Facility Users Worldwide

When you decide to adopt Facility as your school management system you can be sure of Serco’s vast experience with International Schools. Establishments all over the world benefit from Facility and its power to support education initiatives.

Serco supplies International Schools in Europe, the Middle East, South America and the Far East and has clients in many different countries. They include: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, China, South East Asia and Brazil.

International Schools all over the world are making positive changes with Facility:

"Without Facility and ePortal it would have been a mountain to climb to meet parents’ demands. We can provide information with the same level of efficiency that they get in their business lives."

"Having analysed many school management systems, and having trialed a few, we finally found a system that answers our needs."

"Facility is helping us to fulfil our mission statement by giving us the time to focus upon the people who really matter in a school – the students!"

04. Meet the Team

Our International Schools Team is a group of dedicated professionals who are all familiar with the particular issues and needs facing the International Schools market. Their in-depth knowledge of Facility, its functions and associated services is second to none so they can help you find ideal solutions to support your aims.

Leonora Taylor is the International Schools Consultant, based in Derby. She can help with details of user groups, seminars, training and consultancy and can even put schools in touch with each other to share good practice. Existing Facility users and new schools should call her first. She is your central point of contact and can put you in touch with one of our other expert team members.

Fiona Dunne is International Schools Business Development Manager. She maintains regular contact with schools to discuss how Facility can meet specific needs and to help clients work out strategies for maximum use of their system. She also welcomes contact with new schools who might be unfamiliar with Facility and its capabilities.

International Software Support Specialist Stephen Bailey is highly skilled in the technical aspects of using Facility. He is familiar with the International Schools market and can offer support and advice on the practical aspects of operating Facility.

Overseeing the whole team is International Schools Manager Graham Bartlett who has extensive knowledge of the International Schools market and understands their specific needs and requirements.

Contact numbers:
International Schools Consultant
Leonora Taylor: 0044 1332 826829

International Schools Business Development Manager
Fiona Dunne: 00353 86812 5229

International Software Support Specialist
Stephen Bailey: 0044 1332 660555

05. International Serco at ECIS Conference

Serco supports schools all over the world and as part of its service to Facility users it is associated with a number of organisations worldwide.

To support International Schools Serco is affiliated to: ECIS - European Council of International Schools, CIS- Council of International Schools, BSME - British Schools of the Middle East, AGIS - Association of German International Schools, SGIS - Swiss Group of International Schools, COBIS (COBISEC) - Council of British International Schools, and Nordic Network Conference - Scandanavian International Schools.

Throughout the year Serco’s education experts attend conferences hosted by each of those organisations. Members of the Serco International Schools Team will be at the ECIS conference at Nice Acropolis, Nice, France on November 19-23. The ECIS annual conference is the largest of its kind in the world and attracts teachers, heads of school and other education personnel.

It is the ideal opportunity to meet up with our dedicated staff, see our latest product developments and learn how Serco and Facility can help you meet the challenges of education in the 21st Century.

06. Serco Consultancy

Serco Learning works with thousands of schools and impacts on more than a million learners worldwide. Experience gained in partnership with institutions and education organisations in the UK and overseas means Serco is ideally placed to help schools make the most of Facility products and services.

The consultancy service can offer advice, guidance and practical help to enable customers to get best value from Facility software. Projects available include Assessment Tracking and the highly successful Mark Book, but our expert consultants can help you with any of your plans.

Our consultants recently worked with an International School in Germany to create a special educational needs system that shares information easily so teachers can tailor lessons more effectively to suit individual learners.

Contact Leonora on 0044 1332 826829
or click here for more information.

07. User Group

Your next user group meeting will be held at the International School of Paris on Friday, September 26, 2008. It is the ideal opportunity for users to get together to hear what’s new in Facility, to exchange news and views and to share best practice.

If you have not yet booked your place call Leonora on 00441 332 826829.

08. Contact Us

Your first point of contact for everything except technical support is:
International School Consultant Leonora Taylor.
Email: leonora.taylor@serco.com or call: 0044 1332 826829.

For technical support contact:
International Software Support Specialist Stephen Bailey.
Call: 0044 8456 888 400 and choose option 4 for international.
Or email: facility.is@serco.com