Sherston Software
Encyclopedia
Sherston Software, also known as Sherston Publishing Group is a British
software publisher, producing educational games. Set up by two teachers, Bill and Lou Bonham, in 1983, they started making their first games for the BBC Micro
. The company became a limited company
in 1991.
In 2003, Bill and Lou sold Sherston to a four-man management team, which lead to the company being called Sherston Publishing Group. Russ Mabon, Jamie Bayliss, Paul Hollin and Andy Frances. In 2008 the offices in Angel House, Sherston also became home to BLi Education which owned the brands TAG Learning, Economatics Education and SEMERC. TAG Developments (based in Kennington, London) is also part of the group and produces MAPS
- Managed Assessment and ePortfolio System, which features some Sherston software content. In difficult trading conditions in the education market in 2010 and 2011 BLi Education went into Administration but many of the assets were acquired by Sherston Publishing Group which now operates once again under the 'Sherston' name.
Sherston currently employs over 40 staff in its office in Trivandrum, India. An associate company, Sherston Sheshani operates out of an office in Cape Town South Africa. Sherston also has an office in the US ('Sherston America
') based in Portland, Oregon.
Sherston Software also publishes software in association with other notable partners including BBC Worldwide
(now BBC Active), HarperCollins
and Oxford University Press
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
software publisher, producing educational games. Set up by two teachers, Bill and Lou Bonham, in 1983, they started making their first games for the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
. The company became a limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
in 1991.
In 2003, Bill and Lou sold Sherston to a four-man management team, which lead to the company being called Sherston Publishing Group. Russ Mabon, Jamie Bayliss, Paul Hollin and Andy Frances. In 2008 the offices in Angel House, Sherston also became home to BLi Education which owned the brands TAG Learning, Economatics Education and SEMERC. TAG Developments (based in Kennington, London) is also part of the group and produces MAPS
MAPS (software)
MAPS is a proprietary web-based Assessment or EPortfolio service. The software is entirely web services based and provides an array of evidence recording tools which are structured around a blog or learner diary. Users can belong to mulitple institutions and individual portfolios are owned entirely...
- Managed Assessment and ePortfolio System, which features some Sherston software content. In difficult trading conditions in the education market in 2010 and 2011 BLi Education went into Administration but many of the assets were acquired by Sherston Publishing Group which now operates once again under the 'Sherston' name.
Sherston currently employs over 40 staff in its office in Trivandrum, India. An associate company, Sherston Sheshani operates out of an office in Cape Town South Africa. Sherston also has an office in the US ('Sherston America
Sherston America
Sherston America is the US office for Sherston Publishing Group , the British software publisher. The American office supplies UK published CD-ROMs and online content and also resources developed specifically for the North American market.Sherston America was founded in 2009 and has its principal...
') based in Portland, Oregon.
Sherston Software also publishes software in association with other notable partners including BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
(now BBC Active), HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
and Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
.
Notable software
- Rusty Dreamer
- Tizzy's Toybox
- Crystal: The ICT Channel
- Gogglebox: Topic Based Online Channel
- Sherston Mega Deal
- Sherston Online
- Sherston Skill Builders Online
- The Crystal Rain Forest
- The ArcVenture series
- The Map Detectives
- The Email Detectives
- Izzy's Island
- abc-CD - Animated Alphabet
- Skill Builders
- School's Out - After School Club
- 123-CD
- The Crystal Maze (based on the popular British TV game show The Crystal MazeThe Crystal MazeThe Crystal Maze was a British game show, produced by Chatsworth Television and shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 15 February 1990 and 10 August 1995. There was one series per year, with the first four series presented by Richard O'Brien and the final two by Ed Tudor-Pole, who made...
) - Furbles
- Space Mission Mada (later to be adapted in to Australian TV show Space Mission Mada News)
- Tina's Terrible Trumpet
- The Worst Witch (based on the book The Worst WitchThe Worst WitchThe Worst Witch is a series of children's novels written and illustrated by Jill Murphy and published by Puffin Books. The first book was published in 1974. They have become some of the most outstandingly successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 4 million copies....
)