Nine fun activities to teach kids about money
As schools have closed to help combat the spread of Covid-19, parents are taking a greater lead than ever before in teaching their children at home. One invaluable lesson is how to manage money. Moneywise magazine has the nation’s best personal finance teachers on hand ready to help. Here, the winners of the Moneywise Personal Finance Teacher of the Year Awards 2019, sponsored by interactive investor, share their ideas to teach kids everyday money tasks. With activities for primary and secondary pupils, the scope ranges from a ‘discount detectives challenge’, a ‘bare necessities challenge’ to a ‘bank statement challenge.’ There is even a ‘create your own bank’ challenge and a ‘great savings race.’ Do you know a great personal finance teacher? Nominate them for this year’s Moneywise Personal Finance Teacher of the Year Awards for the chance to win a share of a £24,000 cash prize pot from interactive investor for their school? Or teachers can nominate themselves – just email editor@moneywise.co.uk interactive investor has also launched a New Family Financial Education Award for parents/ carers who have best taught children about money matters – with a £5,000 prize pot. £250 individual cash prizes for up to 20 households are available – families need to send examples of their financial education home learning to editorial@ii.co.uk. Tips from the teachers Primary school winner: Sian Bentley, deputy principal, Queensmead Primary Academy, Leicester. Activity ONE – Create your own restaurant Level: Primary and Secondary (five to 16 years) Money skills: Budgeting, Saving How it works: Setting up a home restaurant is a clever way to help your children learn about money. First, get your children to think about their favourite restaurant meal out or takeaway and have a look online to calculate how much it would cost the family to order a takeaway. Then make a list of ingredients needed to help recreate the meals at home and work out how much this would cost. Either using ingredients that you have or topping up during your next supermarket shop, make those meals at home. Then calculate how much you have saved by cooking, rather than eating out or ordering a takeaway. You can do different variations of this activity – for example, creating your own cinema, café or even spa. Activity TWO – Bare necessities challenge Level: Primary (five to 11 years) Money skills: Money management, Saving How it works: Sit down with your child and write a list of all your regular costs, including bills, commuting, food, toiletries, cinema tickets, etc. Review your child’s list first and work out what they are still receiving during the lockdown. Then review your list and work out what you are still spending on, for example, bills, food and insurance. Work out the items that you are no longer buying – for example, trips to the café, theatre or cinema. Then discuss whether or not you miss those expenses and how much you are saving. This can help children to understand the difference between essential and non-essential spending. Activity THREE – Bank statement challenge Level: Secondary (12 to 16) Money skills: Banking, Money Management, Saving How it works: Print off a copy of your bank statement from a few months ago and a copy of one from after the lockdown began. Sit down with your child to look at the differences between the two and how your expenses have changed. This can open up a conversation about the family’s financial wants, needs and how you can save money. It can also help you discuss how Covid-19 may have impacted your household finances, through loss of business or loss of income. This activity is designed to help children understand the value of money and how to survive financially during difficult times. Judges’ Award: Tom Raffield, mathematics teacher, St David’s School, Purley Activity FOUR – Create your own bank Level: Primary (five to 11 years) Money skills: Banking, Currency conversion, Saving How it works: Get your child to identify something that they want – for example, a toy – and set its value as the target. Then encourage your child to save money and log their progress. Giving them the flexibility to save what they can will help them to work out how long it will take to reach that target. To take this a step further, you could create your own household currency. Help your child to name and design the tender, and the conversion rate to pounds sterling. For example, 5 ‘Star Dollars’ could equal £1. This new currency could be used to reward your child for helping around the house, good behaviour and doing well in home school. At the end of the week, you can convert what they earn into pounds, which they can then choose to save or spend. Commended: Nicola Butler, teacher of mathematics, finance and Welsh baccalaureate, Ysgol Eirias (Eirias High School), Colwyn Bay Activity FIVE – Discount detective challenge Level: Primary (five to 11 years) Money skills: Bargain hunting, Saving How it works: This challenge is designed to help children shop around and find the best deals. For this activity, set a challenge for your child to complete. This could be anything from finding the best-value broadband deal to the pet insurance policy. Encourage your child to note down what the different deals include – for example, what channels are included in different TV and broadband deals. This will help distinguish which offers are better value for money rather than just being the cheapest option. Secondary school winner: Helen Westwood, teacher of financial studies, Caroline Chisholm School Activity SIX – Pocket money challenge Level: Primary (five to 11 years) Money skills: Budgeting, Saving How it works: Teaching children the importance of having an effective budget can help them develop good money habits as they grow up. Creating a budget for pocket money is a fun and interactive way to learn money management. Encourage your child to set financial targets – for example, saving for a new bike – and work toward
Top five tips for robust MAT budgeting
Creating a budget for a group of schools across different phases and local contexts, with the potential to also be spread across multiple local authorities, is by no means an easy task. The sheer variety of areas that require in-depth consideration, coupled with the frequency of government funding announcements that can impact on a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) three-year budget, can represent some significant challenges akin to ‘nailing jelly to the wall’. I have been working with MATs for nearly 10 years and seen many different approaches that can be used to reduce the risk of material misstatement – untrue information in a financial statement that could affect the financial decisions of those who rely on the statement – in the budgeting process. Of course, a budget will always be a ‘best guess’, but data, technology and consistency in approach can significantly reduce the chance of material manual error. Drawing on this experience, we have got to grips with the issues that present the biggest challenge for (and therefore risk to) MATs or are areas that can be worked on. Here are my top five tips to ensure robust MAT budgeting: 1. Know your schools inside out The best Chief Finance Officers (CFOs) that we work with have an excellent feel for their numbers and know all the local stories and context for each of their schools. They instinctively know the results they should be seeing, so when they view budget versions as part of the planning process they will have a good idea as to whether they are showing the right results, or whether there are some anomalies to explore further. All budgets will be reviewed but this review cannot take place at every step of the process, so an ability to be instinctive helps MATs arrive at better budgets, quicker. The specific high-level KPIs that can help shape this are: pupil number totals and three-to-five year pupil movement trends; pupil teacher and pupil adult ratio; surplus/deficit as % of General Annual Grant (GAG) income; average teacher cost; and contact ratios or average class sizes. 2. Ability to lock budget assumptions A CFO’s budget assumptions are at the very core of a MAT budget, so it is vital to ensure that these assumptions are set consistently and not changed through the budget process, unless it is a deliberate decision. It is especially important that budgeting system controls cannot be amended by anyone with access to the system. Many MATs are still grappling with this challenge through a mixture of systems that cannot enforce such controls combined with MATs that have grown quickly. Often they have ‘inherited’ previous budgets for schools that have recently joined the Trust and have kept their previous budget template, which may or may not be in line with MAT defined assumptions. So there are lots of variables, but having strict controls and good visibility of the key budget assumptions is the main message. 3. Centralise control of ‘big-ticket’ items The 80/20 rule – i.e. 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results – absolutely applies to budget planning. In most of the MATs we work with there are often thousands of items (income/expenditures and staff contracts) that can make up a budget. There will, of course, be a requirement to review all these items but there should also be an element of delegation and a reconciliation process to ensure these are not being looked at individually by the central team. There are some areas that are crucial to a three-to-five year budget plan and there are some that are not, but the key is ensuring absolute confidence in the integrity and accuracy of these areas. The 20% of budget items that can represent 80% of the budget value are: pupil numbers; GAG funding; capital projects, staffing pay increase/progression assumptions; temporary/ad hoc grants – such as teachers’ pay/pensions and Trust Capacity Fund; and top slice/central services grants. 4. Standardise flexing of future budget lines Many MATs have a differing view on the future treatments of budget lines, with some adopting a 0% view, where schools will need to absorb inflationary increases, to others using RPI or set percentage increases. There is no real right answer, as it can be subjective, and the assumptions made on income can dictate the subsequent treatment for expenditure. The key point that does need to be implemented, though, is consistency. The work we do in extracting data from incumbent systems is one of the biggest challenges we see as there is no method to compare these in school-based systems. Inconsistencies in the treatment of future-year budget lines can mean that schools take very different decisions in order to balance the three-to-five year budget. It is vital that MATs have a consistent approach to the treatment of budget lines and can see the treatment being used by each school, in each income/expenditure area, to avoid differences being unearthed later. 5. You’re not alone MAT budgeting is a complex, yet crucial, beast. However, my advice for anyone who is unsure how to treat budget lines in the future is to ask their peers and sector bodies. It is important to be realistic and creative, but at the same time if in doubt play it safe. At IMP we know all too well how difficult the budget-setting process can be across such a variety of schools, with many stakeholders being involved. That is why we have built IMP Planner as a centralised MAT system – not a school budgeting system with MAT reports stuck on top – to ensure CFOs can be confident in their budgeting process. One unified database, with automated budget building and unrivalled reporting, that can be trusted. Will Jordan is Co-Founder of IMP Software, specialists in MAT budgeting systems For similar articles visit our blog section
Implications for MAT in-year forecasting and budgeting
The unprecedented situation facing Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) in responding to Covid-19 took another unexpected turn when the Department for Education (DfE) announced it had cancelled “all but the most essential data collections” to “help reduce the burden” on Trusts and schools amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Normally academies have to submit a Budget Forecast Return Outturn (BFRO), which is used by the DfE to review the in-year position and expected outturn of the sector, to ensure this financial data can be accurately reported to the Treasury in May. The form was due to be made available to schools to fill in from late April, but is one of several data collections and services to be cancelled this year. Others have been paused until 30th June or beyond. I was as surprised as many by the decision to cancel this year’s BFRO requirement. I think we were expecting a deferral or an amendment to the requirements, where maybe the actuals to March would have remained (for Whole of Government Accounts purposes) but a full cancellation was not an outcome we anticipated. Obviously any reduction in workload during this period is welcome for MAT Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and School Business Managers, and given that the BFRO is probably one of the least familiar of the various returns that academies need to produce, the removal of the completion and submission of the return is positive. However, there has not been a time in my career where strong financial management and solid in-year forecasting and budgeting have been more important than now. This is needed to underpin the heroic attempts of MAT leaders to serve their children, staff and community during this crisis. Making such unprecedented decisions, often daily, without the guidance or confidence that it is the ‘right’ decision has become the norm. Education leaders (and teachers, of course) are embracing this ‘new normal’, taking it in their stride. One element that can improve the ability of leaders to make these tough decisions is having up-to-date, prudent financial forecasts at their fingertips. It can be easy to get caught up in the current crisis and decide that with so many unknowns, financial forecasts will be lacking accuracy and therefore any sense of reliability. Of course, over the past few weeks, the number of unknowns have been higher than any point in history that I can remember. But looking at the positives, information is emerging all of the time so there are much more ‘knowns’ this week than last week, and last week there were more than the week before. Financial forecasting will always be a mixture of art and science and right now the art element is currently more pronounced that normal. Extra caution, attention and scenario planning will be required – which is what CFOs are extremely good at. That said, whilst there are many unknowns, we still know more that we don’t know. Forecasting is achievable in the current climate, and when done right can make a huge contribution to both enable and give confidence for decision-making. In my experience, the quality, embeddedness and frequency of in-year forecasting is an area that can vary greatly between MATs, with some having well-established processes that are deeply ingrained and followed as a matter of course each month. At the other end of the spectrum, however, Trusts may only prepare a forecast in April/May to satisfy the BFRO requirements, which now might not even happen. Having worked in this area for nearly 10 years, I would say that most MATs are somewhere in the middle, with a combination of culture, lack of resource and limitations of technology (in that order) being barriers to achieving the vision of a monthly re-forecasting cycle. Where Trusts have implemented a monthly cycle, it was not perfect on day one, but the beauty of a good process is that each month it will improve. As you progress through the year you can compare each month’s actual to the previous month’s forecast and identify areas that were not quite right. Next month it will be better and take less time than the previous month until you get to the stage where the process in embedded and becomes a natural part of the monthly cycle. By keeping on top of a monthly cycle you are not only reducing the effort for each forecast, you will only ever be a month away from your next set of financial data and can therefore ensure that decision-making is always based upon the most up-to-date financial information. Whilst it is a welcome relief that already stretched MAT finance teams no longer have to complete BFRO form, the current situation remains fluid and fraught with uncertainty, and has the potential to be a perfect storm for MAT finances. Some will have received positive effect, through lower operating costs; but for many, where there is a reliance on self-generated income from extended services and the use of facilities, budget are likely to be hit hard, in addition to the costs that will arise as part of Covid-19. However, MAT CFOs are familiar with operating within a moving landscape and having to make tough choices. They will know the importance of robust financial planning – continuing with their in-year forecasting and formulating strategic budget plans when information, assumptions and reporting deadlines are uncertain. Will Jordan is Co-Founder of IMP Software, specialists in MAT budgeting systems For similar articles visit our blogs section
MAT budgeting: to centralise or not to centralise?
Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) have come a long way in the past few years and there are a growing number of Trusts that have started the financial centralisation journey. The Kreston Academies Benchmark report, published in January, highlighted that larger more centralised MATs are operating more efficiently and with lower average surplus/deficit, which suggests that economics of scale are being realised. There are several ways that centralisation can happen, and, in many cases, the local context combined with the recent growth of the MAT will impact on both the ambition and resource availability to make such a big and decisive change. For those MATs which have embarked on this journey, the first step is usually to move to a centralised bank account. This can provide some major benefits, many of which can be achieved in a short space of time: reduced access to bank accounts leading to reduced risk of fraud/error; pooling of cash to help manage cashflow peaks and troughs; and efficiency – with fewer bank accounts leading to reduction in management time (bank reconciliations, payment runs, internal transfers and so on). Of course, centralising bank accounts does not happen without its challenges and can often be interpreted as ‘GAG pooling’. This is where the Trust receives its funding centrally and then allocates budgets to the individual schools, rather than schools receiving their income and then just paying a top slice to cover central costs. The same Kreston report highlights that, whilst the level of interest from MATs in GAG pooling is growing, it is proving harder to establish and very few Trusts have adopted this approach. GAG pooling is a separate issue entirely to that of centralising bank accounts, as there is no link between cash management strategies and reserve policies, but is one that invariably generates some strong views. One area of centralisation that has seen much lower levels of adoption, is the centralised approach to budget setting/strategic planning. Most MATs will insist on the eventual sign-off of budgets, once they have been prepared and approved locally, but the extent that they are being prepared centrally is still not something that we come across too often. So, to centralise or not to centralise? That is the question. What is the difference? With a varied landscape and MATs adopting many different schemes of delegation, we have seen some MATs where the budget process is very much completed within their schools, with a handful of budget assumptions set by the Trust, to try to ensure there is an element of consistency across the schools. In the cases where we have seen a strong degree of centralisation, the budgeting process has taken a similar path to the one taken on bank accounts where the budget systems are maintained centrally. Here the ‘big-ticket’ items and more complex assumptions – funding, payscale data, pay rises and teacher pay/pension grants – and top slice are all managed by the Trust and the schools will use their local knowledge to maintain staff contract data and discretionary non-staff budget data, such as resources and premises. Why is it still relatively uncommon? There are two main blockages that we see holding back the centralisation of the budget process. The first reason is cultural and surrounds the perceived reduction of autonomy that was also encountered when centralising finances and bank accounts. However, where we have seen this implemented – the MAT in question already had ultimate sign-off on budgets in a non-centralised approach – the reality is that schools will still have a big say in where their budgets are allocated, even if the Trust is leading the process. The second reason is that the budgeting systems landscape has not kept pace with the emergence of MATs. Given their long history with standalone schools it is difficult to re-design systems from the ground up, and therefore insist on a school-led approach, with the MAT requirements largely being fulfilled with a few aggregated MAT reports. The ability to automatically populate budgets based upon MAT defined assumptions is only available from MAT specific systems, such as our own IMP Planner. What are the benefits? A top-down approach to budget setting will transform planning processes. With an underlying confidence the core of the budget, along with MAT defined assumptions being consistent and correct, time can be spent on the more discretionary areas where real value can be added. This can link available budget to school improvement plans or other areas of development. Improved efficiency is also a major outcome of a centralised model, as MAT budget items can be automatically calculated, reducing the need to check each budget line. Whilst both of these areas bring some hefty benefits, the key reason that we see driving this change is the potential negative impact of getting the budgets wrong and the unsustainable process that is required to check the school’s budgets and underlying assumptions in granular detail. Having confidence in the MAT budget has never been more important. The funding environment is still extremely challenging and despite promises of increases, the details on these are still light and uncertainty remains. In addition to the headline funding there are a host of temporary grants (pay/pensions etc) that all must be factored into each budget, within each school and each year. With so many moving parts the opportunities for inconsistencies, errors and mistreatments to creep in is high. With the MATs that we are working with, in a number of cases we have seen six-figure budget swings (within primary schools) when we have started to apply consistent budget treatments to budgets that have never be looked at or prepared on a consistent basis previously. What about ‘what if’ scenarios? In addition to the creation of the core budget plans, once these have been defined, within a centralised budget structure MATs can then ‘stress test’ these models with a host of ‘what if’ scenarios, across all their schools and years, instantly. Uncertainty is one of the few certainties in the current climate, so being able
Occupational therapist finds innovative way to tackle eating disorder in vulnerable children
Rachel Peek, an occupational therapist at the Greater Manchester based charity the Together Trust, has been working recently to tackle eating disorder Pica amongst local vulnerable children. Pica is characterised by a tendency to eat substances that provide no nutritive value such as soil, chalk, hair or paper. The condition can affect a number of groups, including those who have a learning disability and people with autism. People suffering with Pica run the risk constipation, vomiting, choking, poisoning and blockages to the gut or intestines. Rachel said: “I first became interested in Pica when my line manager gave me an article detailing a case in which a young man suffering with the condition died. That set me thinking about the children I work with in local schools that specialise in helping vulnerable children with complex needs. Working with teachers and teaching assistants I drew up a list identifying students who had either already been diagnosed, or who often sought out non-edible items. We found five children who manifested classic Pica symptoms, only one of whom had a pre-existing diagnosis.” Next, Rachel began to research appropriate interventions practised by occupational therapists, which is how she discovered the Pica box. A Pica box contains multiple compartments, each of which contains food items that are designed to be a substitute for specific non-edible items that a person has been observed eating. “When I read about the Pica box I knew that this was an intervention I could introduce to the children I was working with, so the next step was a trip to my local DIY store, where I bought a plastic box into which I fitted some compartments. We’d already compiled a list of the non-edible items the children most often ingested and into each compartment I put edible alternatives, in terms of both appearance and texture. For example twigs were replaced with vegetable sticks, Twiglets and celery sticks. Leaves were replaced with spinach leaves and crisps; sand with grape nuts and gravel with crushed digestive biscuits and cornflakes. I filled that first prototype box with the edible alternatives, labelling each item and listing what non-edible item it was replacing and I put the picture of the first student we were working with on the front of the box. On the back of the lid I posted a short explanation of what a Pica box is, for the teachers and teaching assistants, along with some additional Pica strategies. Then came the moment of truth. I approached the student, who was sat in the playground eating twigs, and I offered her a celery stick and asked her to drop the twig. Not only did she do so she also tapped the box when she’d finished the celery stick and asked for more!” This continued for several minutes, after which the child lost all interest in eating non-edible items and instead asked for the box by taking off a removable symbol from the lid, which was designed to help a child ask for the box in a simple and easy way. Following this first success Rachel held a training session for teachers and teaching assistants and shared the idea with her colleagues in the occupational therapy team. She has also continued to make boxes for other children she has identified as being at risk from Pica. Jill Sheldrake, Service Director at the Together Trust said: “Rachel may only have been with us as an occupational therapist for a year but she’s actually been working for the Together Trust for more than seven years, having started off as a support worker. Through hard work and determination she’s made the most of the opportunities available within the charity. With work like this she’s not only continuing to progress in her career but she’s also making an important contribution to furthering awareness of Pica, both at the Together Trust and in the wider professional community. We couldn’t be more proud of her.” For simialar articles visit our features section
EduCare Make Courses Free in Response to School Closures
As COVID-19 continues to have a far-reaching socio-economic impact on the UK, it can be difficult to navigate and adjust to the big changes to our routines and environments. Duty of care and safeguarding training specialists, EduCare, recognise the impact that school closures will have on the safeguarding of children and young people, and have made a number of their courses and resources available for free online. The courses and resources, which are usually only available to customers, can now be accessed for free via EduCare’s recently launched Coronavirus Hub. Amongst these resources is information from EduCare’s owner TES, which will support teachers, schools and students during this time. This includes revision material, home packs and self-guided study material. In addition to the free courses and resources, the Hub also contains the latest news and recommendations for good practice relating to the Coronavirus and children and young people whilst away from education. Understanding that remote training will be vital to schools over the coming months, EduCare has also made seven online CPD courses available for free. These are: “Effective Health & Safety for Children with SEND and ASN” “Parental Responsibility in Schools” “Search, Screen and Confiscate for Schools” “Risk Assessments for School Trips” “Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption” “Cyber Security” “Working with Display Screen Equipment” Also available for free are wellbeing resources from EduCare’s EduSafe resource library. Designed for the community of parents and carers, and children and young people, EduSafe resources have been written with leading experts including Winston’s Wish, Karma Nirvana, YoungMinds, Mentor and The Children’s Society. EduCare is communicating the message that whilst safeguarding has always been everyone’s responsibility, with school closures this will be more relevant than ever. As schools lose day to day contact with their pupils, our communities will need to act together to support children and young people. The intention of the EduSafe resource library is to ensure that the community can access the same level of high-quality information as education staff receive as part of their training. EduSafe is split into two banks of resources – resources that are specifically designed for parents & carers, and resources that are specifically designed for children & young people. Topics covered within EduSafe include: Mental health Substance misuse Dealing with bereavement and loss Honour-based abuse and forced marriage More directly related to immediate issues presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, EduCare’s Coronavirus Hub also includes free resources and information relating to the virus itself and preventing its spread. Within this section, there is also the most up-to-date news from TES editorial team, as the situation develops. To find out more, access EduCare’s Coronavirus Hub at https://www.educare.co.uk/coronavirus
Yes peas! Launches the Ha-Pea zone for kids learning at home
New educational hub equips families at home to Grow, Cook and Learn about the Great British Pea! The Yes Peas! campaign, run by the British Growers Association and funded by growers, freezers and machinery companies from the pea vining sector, has launched a fun educational hub for children – The Ha-pea Zone. Supporting the national effort of families learning together at home, the new online platform provides a range of resources dedicated to all aspects of the Great British pea, including information about the pea industry, the journey of the pea from field to plate, how to grow and harvest peas as well as advice and inspiration for cooking. There will also be free downloadable resources, from fact sheets and checklists to games and quizzes. Children will be able to lead a ‘grow your own’ project and apply for their own seeds to plant at home, following downloadable step-by-step guides and watching top-tips videos from British pea growers on the farm, to help them along the way. The Ha-pea Zone will feature cooking ideas using store cupboard essentials, as well as recipes created by kids, for kids. The ‘Pea Hall of Fame’ section of the hub enables children to share their work and upload their own recipe creations. Coral Russell, Crop Associations Manager at the British Growers Association, which runs the Yes Peas! campaign, says: “We wanted to provide a platform which features detailed resources to support parents with new ideas for home schooling, as well as fun educational activities for kids to enjoy. We want to build knowledge and encourage everyone to get involved in practical activities which is why we are encouraging children to get creative in the kitchen and cook with their family, and also take learning out into the garden by following a ‘grow your own’ project. “The UK is the largest producer and consumer of frozen peas in Europe, with Brits eating an average 9,000 peas per person every year, so we hope The Ha-pea Zone sparks a real passion for peas within Britain’s households, and who knows, this could be the inspiration for the next generation of pea growers!” There has never been more of a relevant time to learn about the pea industry as the annual UK pea drilling process has just begun and in three months’ time, around 35,000 hectares – equivalent to about 70,000 football pitches – of pea crops will produce 2 billion portions of peas to feed the nation. To access the Yes Peas! Ha-pea Zone, please visit peas.org/ha-pea-zone/ and for more information on the Yes Peas campaign, please visit www.peas.org. Families can share how they have been learning about peas at home! Whether it’s a pea-inspired recipe creation or a request for seeds to do the ‘grow your own’ project, please email YesPeas@hatchpr.co.uk.
BTS Spark offers free leadership coaching to support with pressing issues arising from school and college closures
As schools and colleges deal with ongoing challenges and requirements to reconfigure the way they operate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, BTS Spark, the not-for-profit education practice within one of the world’s leading coaching organisations, launched a free coaching programme for school and college leaders. Delivered by BTS Spark’s network of highly qualified and experienced professional leadership coaches, the initiative will provide up to 250 school and college leaders with confidential telephone coaching sessions to explore the pressing and urgent issues they are currently facing. The programme, which will be rolled out immediately, will be available for at least the next two months (April and May). Leaders will be supported with relevant, tried and tested tools and insights around maintaining their resourcefulness and leading in uncertainty, drawn from BTS Spark’s comprehensive leadership curriculum. Launching the new programme, Denise Barrows, Head of Education at BTS Spark, said: “At a time when we are all dealing with high levels of personal anxiety and uncertainty, schools are charged with completely reconfiguring the way that they operate. At BTS Spark, we want to do what we can to help school and college leaders successfully navigate these challenging times, maintain their personal resourcefulness and continue to successfully engage and support their staff. “Our coaches are experts in helping leaders to be at their best in the moments that matter the most and will be matched to leaders according to their needs. We hope that we can support hundreds of school and college leaders during these difficult times.” Susan Douglas, CEO at The Eden Academy Trust, said: “I can highly recommend this valuable opportunity to school and college leaders as we all come to grips with the impact of COVID-19. My own coaching experience with BTS Spark has been extremely helpful, guiding me through decision points as well as challenging me. The coaching has allowed me to untangle things, see things more clearly and therefore make improved strategic plans moving forward.” Dominique Charles, BTS Leadership Coach, said: “This is a time of extreme pressure for school and college leaders. Working with them over the years, I have witnessed first-hand the many challenges they face on a day-to-day basis but now, more than ever, their resilience will be tested while having to be at their most creative to develop new ways of working remotely with their teams and students. “I’m thrilled to be part of this free programme, where we can draw on BTS Spark’s wider expertise and insights for those that need it in these difficult times.” BTS Spark offers targeted leadership development and coaching for school and college leaders so they can unlock new capabilities and perform at their best. Founded in the UK in 2005 as Coach in a Box, the not-for-profit practice helps busy leaders to secure and sustain key shifts in their mindset and practice. These shifts increase leadership impact, build personal influence, enhance relationships, and drive change. School and college leaders wishing to participate in the initiative should enrol at https://www.bts.com/en-gb/spark/our-programs/coaching-through-covid-19. Once leaders are matched with their Coach, they will be given access to the BTS Spark coaching platform so they can easily book their sessions at a time that suits them. For further information on BTS Spark, visit: www.bts.com/spark or follow on Twitter @BTSSparkUK #coachingthroughcovid
Boost Education Offers Free Tutoring to Children of NHS Staff
The popular London tutoring service, Boost Education is extending its thanks to NHS staff working hard on the front lines to save lives in the battle against coronavirus with the offer of free tutoring for their children. Like many businesses in the capital, Boost Education has temporarily closed its doors at all six of its centres but its team of experienced tutors has been providing one-to-one tuition online to students. As the school shutdown continues and the number of patients requiring hospital treatment continues to rise, the OFSTED accredited business has opened up 400 complimentary spots for children of NHS workers. Amandeep Gill, Boost Education CEO and founder said, “The NHS has been working tremendously hard in very difficult circumstances to keep us safe and well and treat those who are ill with coronavirus. Many have children at home and families to care for as they care for us – everyone here at Boost Education wanted to do something that could make the days a little easier for our wonderful healthcare workers. We know that the school closure and requirements to home school adds more stress to what is already a trying time so we have opened up 400 free places for one-to-one online tutoring for the families of NHS staff.” The tutoring firm’s aim is to support front line NHS staff at the forefront of the pandemic by bringing personalised tutoring to their children. The Boost Education online curriculum covers the core subjects of English, Maths, Science and 11+, with classes available to book online. To date, over 4000 students have received expert help with their studies, with more than 95,000 lessons delivered in total by over 100 experienced tutors. Gill added, “I wanted to say to all NHS staff, thank you for looking after us – allow us to look after you. Our volunteer tutors have been preparing themselves to host the best classes possible to ensure your child gets the best in online tutoring. Classes have been designed to be engaging, entertaining and educational from beginning to end and you’ll see the results in your child’s academic performance. We want to give back to all our NHS Hospital workers and your children as you are putting in countless hours to help save lives.” To find out more and to book a free class, visit: https://boosteducation.co.uk/promo/nhs/