Isis News!

Isis part of winning SkanskaRM consortium

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Isis has won the contract to provide furniture for Essex County Council’s BSF programme. Part of the winning Skanska RM consortium, Isis will provide furniture to support and inspire learning at 16 schools across the county. Phase one of the programme is worth £150m alone with the first four schools, two of which are for students with special educational needs, scheduled to open in 2012.
As part of the bidding process, Essex secondary school pupils were asked what they would change about their schools. One team said they wanted flexible classrooms in which they could collaborate, study individually or sit in traditional rows, depending on what the lesson required; they also wanted comfortable chairs. Flexibility and comfort are inherent features of Isis’s designs, so it looks like the pupils will get at least some of what they desire – the fifty inch plasma television is another matter!
Isis MD, Nick Topliss said, “It’s fantastic news, particularly because we will be working with RM. Close collaboration between suppliers is the only way to achieve true integration of ICT into learning environments, which means having the right furniture, power and data delivery to support it.”
Meanwhile, a few miles further south, St George’s Secondary School in Broadstairs, Kent, which was the first BSF bid that Isis won, is nearing completion and due to open in March.

Isis congratulates winners

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Year 9 pupils at Lampton School in Hounslow wowed judges of the ‘I Dream of Learning’ competition with their inspired design for a classroom of the future. Isis was so impressed they decided to help them on their way to realising their design with some free giant beanbags which they took straight back to school on the tube!

Christmas greetings from Isis

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we approach the Christmas season we are full of festive spirit here at Isis. As part of our seasonal celebrations we played a small but important role in the Christingle service at St Leonard’s Church in Watlington when one of our products enjoyed a rather unusual outing.
‘The Tree’ can be used as a coat stand, a space divider or simply to add a touch of design flair and for every one sold, four fruit trees will be planted in the Peruvian Andes to help prevent soil erosion. On this occasion The Tree played a central role in the Christingle service, proudly displaying decorations made by local school children and Scout groups.
We’ve enjoyed an incredibly busy year and as we approach the holidays we are all looking forward to a rest before gearing up for BETT (13-16 January 2010 at London’s Olympia). In addition to our own stand (F50) at BETT we will be furnishing the Partnerships for Schools space in the Future Learning Spaces exhibition as well as kitting out the Rethinking Education and Learning (REAL) showcase over in Olympia 2. We will also be releasing our brand new catalogue at BETT so if you want to find out more about how well-designed furniture, and the occasional tree, can transform learning spaces then come and see us on stand F50.
In the mean time, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year.
The Isis Team

Helping teachers to teach and learners to learn

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Describing Isis as "a great business with excellent products and ideas that really help schools build inspiring educational spaces", Terry Sweeney, Chief Executive of RM announced the acquisition of Isis on Friday 15th May 2009.

Rethinking Education and Learning

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

RM's REAL Centre (REAL stands for rethinking education and learning) furnished by Isis opened to critical acclaim. The centre, which includes four discrete learning spaces, questions the status quo with regard to how interior spaces are furnished and equipped to give maximum benefit to students and teachers.

See the movie

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Did you catch us on the BBC's Working Lunch programme on Monday 23rd March? Presenter Rob Pittam and his camera crew came to our showroom to look at how Isis designs can transform classrooms into dynamic learning spaces with movable, flexible furniture. They interviewed our MD Nick Topliss who spoke about how Isis designs classroom furniture with truly useful, added-value functionality that helps teachers and enhances the comfort of students, improving their performance. Some local school children were asked their opinions of the movable tables, adjustable chairs (Nick's daughter is seen sitting on the Newton chair from Orangebox) and flippable whiteboards and their feedback was enthusiastically positive! If you missed it, you can see it here:

See the movie

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With Jim Knight (Minister of State for Schools and Learners) and Tim Byles (Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools) both visiting the Future Learning Spaces created by Isis with RM, and built overnight (see main image) we're certainly leading the big debate - demonstrating the interdependence of furniture and ICT in creating inspiring spaces that truly support teaching and learning. It all left one visitor saying "This has been much more useful than getting lost in BETT. It has allowed my own thinking to be more creative, and, for once, I can look forward rather than playing 'catch up'. Well done. Brilliant!"
BETT 2009 exceeded all our expectations with us meeting hundreds of people involved in education - from teachers to consultants, architects to academy sponsors. The long awaited Newton chair was received enormously positively whilst students from a number of local schools had fantastic days sitting on them in Olympia 2.

BBC Newsround visits

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When BBC Newsround wanted to film about the recent government report on the mismatch between school furniture and pupils, where else but an Isis installation at Furley Park School would come up to the mark.

FX International Design Awards

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

t41 - the innovative table system from Isis that includes t41 hub and FlowerPower has been shortlisted for the prestigious FX Design Awards in recognition of its contribution to transformation in teaching and learning.
Borne out of Isis' research into changing patterns of education, t41 (or table-for-one) has already (since its launch in March 2008) been installed in Academies and is being trialled by BSF authorities - part of the Government's multi-billion pound initiative to transform all 3,500 secondary schools throughout the country.
Isis' Head of Design, Phil Fenton, created t41 to satisfy the pedagogical imperatives found, by Isis, to be unsupported in traditional classrooms furnished with forward-facing rows of double tables, whilst t41 hub manages the cables and transformers that remain intrinsic with mobile computing devices.
Winners of the FX Design Awards will be announced at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London in October 2008.

Isis Furnish "The Brain"

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dalry Primary School in North Ayrshire has a new school thanks to the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund. It is part of the 'Primary Space' project, a unique project involving the close
collaboration of artists, architects and North Ayrshire Council in the design and realisation of a new concept in primary school building.

'Flexible Learning' exhibited by Isis at BETT08

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We have all now recovered from a wonderfully busy BETT08. We had a fantastic response to our stand where, this year, we showcased 'flexible learning' and launched VerTable, a unique table with additional functionality - a tipping top offering simple
stowage, the ability to be used as a room divider, projection screen and finally as a dry wipe whiteboard. If that wasn't enough StepSeat was also exhibited, a double tiered mobile seat unit which can be used, amongst other things as a mini-auditorium for performance based lessons or start of the day assembly. As multifunctionality comes to the fore in the educational environment, flexible ICT also becomes an issue. Isis has addressed this with laptop and battery charging units within StepSeat and with the Earthwalk range which includes the 8 hour SideKick Power Pack, a portable 120W external power for any laptop anywhere, without trailing cables.

Now, is your child sitting comfortably?

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Having recently been personally faced with a secondary school kit list, we started to wonder what the difference was between how much we, as parents spent on equipping our children for school, and how much the school themselves spent on equipment to furnish the classroom. So we commissioned an ICM Poll to find out!
The results didn't surprise us - finding, as they did, that parents spend, on average, nine times as much on school kit, as the school spends on the tables and chairs our children sit at. Is this another turkey-twizzler moment? For details of the press release click here.

Samworth Academy opens - September 2007

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Samworth Enterprise Academy opened its door to pupils for the first time today, Monday 3rd September 2007. Jointly sponsored by David Samworth of Samworth Brothers Group of Companies and the Right Rev'd Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, the Academy - an all-through school - replaces Southfields Infants and Newry Junior schools.

Liscard Primary School makeover

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Perhaps it was something to do with bumping into Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen when we were furnishing the GLA debating chamber (here), but when Ty Goddard of BCSE asked whether we'd be able to help with a Changing Rooms-style makeover of Liscard Primary School in Liverpool as part of the National School Environments Week, we couldn't resist!

Isis Orbital - now in full scale production

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Blueprint has welcomed Isis' development of the Orbital workstation with a feature dedicated to its design in the May 2007 edition of the magazine. Describing it as a product that could define the educational ethos of an era, Blueprint said:

Orbital launched on Isis' stand at BETT'07

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Whilst our stand at BETT07 instantly became identified with Puppy chairs, it also saw the successful launch of Isis Orbital - with visits by schools, designer Shin Azumi and BCSE Director Ty Goddard amongst others.

Royal approval for Flipscreen solutions

Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan recently viewed Flipscreen, shown at the exhibition celebrating the contribution of private companies in refurbishing Jordan’s public schools hosted by INJAZ. Maani, who exclusively import and distribute Flipscreen to the MENA region, have completed a number of prestigious installations of Flipscreen in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

LB Southwark at Peckham Library

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Alsop-designed Peckham Library provided the venue for London Borough of Southwark’s latest one-stop-shop designed by Alexi Marmot Associates and furnished by Isis.

Education Show sees new products from Isis

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Responding to advances in classroom technology, Isis launched their teacher console on stand A4 of The Education Show (NEC 9th – 11th March).

Isis strengthens management team

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

With nearly 20 years experience in furniture manufacturing logistics, Leigh Barter (right) has joined Isis from Ofquest Group as Logistics Manager. Leigh joins the company to further enhance the company’s quality management protocols.

Isis launches learning and working collections

Fri, 20 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Isis showed its learning and working collections on stands T20 and T21 at Design Prima - the exhibition intended to break the mould of how furniture exhibitions are staged. Newly launched designs, simply presented made it a forum for inspiration.

t02 from Isis furnishes Bermondsey Spa

Fri, 13 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The London Borough of Southwark together with architects Lifschutz Davidson have recently specified t02 desking from Isis for the new pavillion recently completed to house the first one-stop-shop for the Borough.

GLA City Hall opening

Wed, 24 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The Queen officially opened Greater London Authority's City Hall, yesterday, 23rd July 2002, at a ceremony attended by London's Mayor, Ken Livingstone, architect, Norman Foster as well as Isis' MD, Nick Topliss.