BRISTOL, England, September 6 /PRNewswire/ --

ATTN: South Western Editors

Northgate Education, a leading UK provider of ICT managed
services and solutions to the education sector, today launches its
innovative, all-inclusive managed learning environment in Bristol, as the
Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and Secretary of State for Children, Schools
and Families, Ed Balls, attend an event to celebrate the opening of England's
first new school to be completed under the Building Schools for the Future
(BSF) programme.

Bristol schools, including Brunel Academy (formerly Speedwell
Technology College), are the first schools in the country to benefit from the
state of the art learning environment, designed in partnership with teachers
and students to meet their vision of a new and exciting media rich, online
experience and to support the government's pursuit for excellence in
education. The managed learning environment aims to transform the learning
and teaching experience for communities throughout the whole of the UK and
equip students with skills fit for the future.

The new managed learning environment uniquely provides
teachers, students, parents and the local community with online access to all
the resources they need to make the most of their teaching and learning
experience including:

- a fully integrated online education environment - linking
the running of schools to the provision of a virtual learning environment, to
the management of information and the development of a cashless system in
which a smart card is used to register for classes, catering and the library;

- 'anywhere, anytime' learning - enabling teachers, students
and parents to access the learning environment from school, home or anywhere
where there is internet access;

- multiple access - using computers, games consoles and mobile
phones as a means of connecting with the environment, including the use of
thin technology;

- personalised learning - enabling students to direct their
education through a personal work portfolio which provides a personal online
space, information on assessments, a personal learning plan and information
on their progress - students will be able to use email, submit homework and
view timetables and outstanding tasks;

- collaborative learning - allowing students to share files
and resources with enhanced opportunities for group working and collaboration
between students, parents and the local community - students will be able to
use instant messenger technology to collaborate with friends in real time
enabling them to work collaboratively and together remotely;

- parental involvement - parents will be able to get actively
engaged in their children's education and involved in the running of the
school through the online parents' centre;

- a teacher information centre - providing teachers with a
one-stop shop for all the data and information that they need on students
including subject notes, personal notes, assessments and attendance details
as well as advanced reporting and alerts;

- a sustainable, safe and secure environment - including
constant monitoring to prevent bullying and the use of inappropriate
websites, and a reduction in unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork.

Darren Lemon, Managing Director of Northgate Education, said:

"It is only through the intelligent use of technology that we
can build schools fit for the future. Northgate Education is proud to be part
of the Building Schools for the Future Programme. Bristol awarded the first
integrated ICT contract under BSF and every one of our partners has
recognised that it is vital that ICT is placed at the heart of transforming
the educational experience of our communities.

"It is only fitting that we are launching our innovative and
unique total managed learning service here in Bristol today. For this is the
first of its kind in the UK designed in collaboration with teachers, parents
and students. It is thanks to them that we are now actively delivering their
vision of teachers and learners empowered by technology and inspired by
education; working within managed learning-led environments that are fit for
the twenty first century and enhanced through personalised learning and
collaboration."

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said
today:

"Today is a day of celebration. Bristol Brunel Academy is
wonderful news for the young people, teachers and local community here in
Bristol, giving them a fresh start, new opportunities and state-of-the art
facilities.

"Bristol Brunel Academy exemplifies what we are trying to
achieve through the BSF programme and we are working hard with local
authorities and the private sector market so that every child in England has
the same opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

"Partnerships for Schools seeks to harness the best of the
public and private sectors to deliver learning environments that our young
people deserve and of which we can all be proud. I congratulate the Bristol
Local Education Partnership on their commitment and resolute focus on
achieving that goal and I look forward to seeing the very real difference
that this school makes here in Bristol - to students, to teachers and to the
local community more broadly."

For more information:

Fellows' Associates

Kathy Sutton +44-(0)20-7849-3403; +44-(0)7966-890401;
ksutton@fellowsassociates.com

Naomi Stevenson +44-(0)20-7849-3508; +44-(0)7966-890403;
nstevenson@fellowsassociates.com

Notes to Editors:

1. Northgate Information Solutions (
http://www.northgate-is.com) is a leading provider of ICT and managed
services solutions and software to the public safety, local government,
education and human resource sectors. With divisional headquarters in Hemel
Hempstead and Belfast, Northgate has 25 major offices across the UK and six
international offices. Founded in 1969, the company has over 6000 employees.

2. Northgate Education (http://www.northgate-is.com/education)
is a leader provider of managed services and solutions in the UK. It provides
technology services to over 1,200 schools, with more than 350,000 teachers
and learners successfully supported by the company. Northgate provides
services to every school in Northern Ireland through C2k, the largest and
most comprehensive e-learning initiative ever implemented in the UK, is
providing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) managed services to
Bristol City Council as part of the government's Building Schools for the
Future Programme (BSF), and provides services to 40 education sites in
Hartlepool. Northgate is the preferred bidder for ICT for Leicester BSF. In
January 2007, Northgate was awarded an ISO 20000-1 accreditation by the
British Standards Institution, for provision of IT service management
activities.

3. The all-inclusive managed learning environment is being
introduced at Brunel Academy and Redland Green School in Bristol. The fully
integrated environment embraces facilities management, management
information, cashless catering, e-registration and access to the library and
virtual learning environment containing over 70 packages available to
students and pupils. Learners and teachers will benefit from the investment
in new technology to support the managed learning environment including the
introduction of interactive whiteboards throughout the schools. The managed
learning environment will be supported by Northgate's fully managed ICT
service which will provide a stable service throughout the schools supported
by a service level agreement which will ensure that priority needs are met
first and foremost. For example, Northgate aims to resolve server,
communications, MLE unavailable issues within 15 minutes; administrative
support, password reset, user account amendment and staff notebook issues
within 30 minutes and whiteboard and projector issues within one hour.

4. Photographs are available on request from Fellows'
Associates, as above.