Financial literacy learning is as important as maths, English and science
Julian Wright, Head of Education Expansion at RedSTART, writes about the need for financial literacy teaching if we are to become a money-savvy society… Rarely a week goes by when a story appears in the news detailing one of the many ways we as a nation are in some way personally in debt. Whether this is the spiralling costs of housing, the amount of debt students are leaving university with, or the amount sitting unpaid on our maxed out credit cards. The general message seems to be that as citizens of the UK, we do not understand how money works and our financial literacy is poor at best, and non-existent at worst. However, despite these constant warnings about the damage to the UK economy, and individual lives, this ‘financial ignorance’ causes, there still seems no appetite to rectify this. Despite calls from various charities, financial education remains all-but absent from the national curriculum. One of those charities is RedSTART, an organisation committed to providing key financial education to young pupils in schools. Their focus is on primary schools, as it is generally recognised that children develop their saving and spending habits early on – by the age of seven. Although financial education is not on the primary school curriculum, this doesn’t prevent teachers from integrating it into existing lessons. The bitesize ‘Money Matters’ lesson plans provided by RedSTART integrate a lot of the PSHE curriculum into its topics, allowing teachers to deliver key financial understanding as part of the school day. However this also doesn’t need to be limited to these sessions. By understanding the key elements that underpin financial literacy, teachers can contextualise and adapt existing curriculum items to deliver the same message. For example, it is a statutory requirement within the year 5 programme of study within the maths curriculum that pupils ‘recognise the percent symbol (%) and understand that percent relates to ‘number of parts per hundred’. When teaching this and other elements of percentages, there is no reason this cannot be contextualised to show how interest rates work. If you had a savings account that paid 5% interest per year (we wish!), and you had £500 in that account, how much interest would you earn in a year? Alternatively: If you had a credit card that charged 5% interest per month and you had a debt of £1000 on your card, how much interest would you pay in a month? And having introduced the concept of ‘interest’ as a percentage, it is only one very important step to teaching ‘compound interest’ – “He who understands it earns it, he who doesn’t pays it” (Albert Einstein). Opportunities to contextualise financial literacy are available throughout the curriculum, once the key concepts such as risk, reward, borrowing, lending, budgeting, goal setting and of course, compound interest have been taught. If pupils aren’t learning financial literacy in the home then the classroom is the most appropriate place to break that cycle. RedSTART Educate’s financial literacy resources can be found at redstarteducate.org and Julian can be found on linkedin.com Photo: Learning about financial literacy with RedSTART at The Oak Bank.
DBS check mythbuster – avoid costly delays when applying
As most people working within education will know, all staff in schools and nurseries are subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check. Schools can encounter staffing problems if DBS checks aren’t done quickly and efficiently. Here, QA Education editor Victoria Galligan busts some of the myths regarding DBS checks and explores what a DBS check actually is, who needs one and how to avoid costly delays when applying… There is only one level of DBS check for school staff Yes – for general employees in England and Wales there are three levels of DBS check – Basic, Standard and Enhanced. However, an Enhanced with DBS Barred List check is required for all staff who teach, supervise, instruct, train or care for children in schools and colleges. This is considered “regulated activity” with children. Even school employees who won’t engage in this regulated activity require a DBS check as there is the opportunity for regular contact with children. Staff such as cleaners don’t need a DBS check Any member of staff who is like to come into contact with children needs an Enhanced DBS check – even if not taking part in regulated activity. This includes cleaners, caretakers, and often contractors working within schools or even in the school grounds. DBS checking service CRBS states on its website: “The reason for this is due to ‘where’ they are working rather than the ‘job role’ in which they are doing. Schools, nurseries and other similar educational institutions fall into a category known as ‘limited range of establishments’. Legislation provides the scope to allow such establishments to request checks on any candidates working on those sites (as long as they meet the other criteria) to make sure the highest measures of safeguarding are put into place for children.” Volunteers don’t need a DBS check It depends – people working in schools at least four times in a 30-day period are eligible for a DBS check. As are people who will be left unsupervised with children. So weekly reading helpers, for example, would need one. If you’re taking children on a trip and have asked for volunteers to help out for a day, then they won’t need one as long as a staff member is with them at all times (including in a vehicle). The exception to this are trips with overnight stays as they are also regulated activity – even one overnight trip requires the volunteer to have a DBS check. If a parent is a regular school volunteer, then they will be eligible for a DBS check. A barred person cannot work in school The DBS decides whether or not a person should be on one or both of the two barred lists – one for working with children and one for working with vulnerable adults. When on the list, individuals are therefore prohibited from seeking or taking up regulated activity with children (or vulnerable adults). A barred person cannot work for a school at all, or a number of other “specified places”. The government document Regulated Activity in Relation to Children: Scope clarifies that people who “provide occasional or temporary services (not teaching, training or supervision of children)” can work with children as long as they are supervised. The document explains what is considered regulated activity which a barred person must not do. This is important to check, as regulated activity does not cover activity which is supervised by another adult. An example would be a trainee tradesperson working with a professional. School governors don’t need a DBS check Wrong! All governors in all schools – maintained, free, academy, or independent – are required to have a current enhanced DBS check: this regulation came into force on 8th March 2016. This is not simply due to the possibility of contact with children but the fact that governors play a key role in the decision-making process in schools, particularly of recruitment. I can’t check qualifications through a DBS check True – they only show an applicant’s criminal record history (with some restrictions). However, Teacher Services is a free government service which will allow you to check qualifications, QTS, completion of induction and any prohibitions, sanctions or restrictions that may stop a teacher from working in certain roles. This can be done by signing into the school’s Gov.uk portal and if you’re waiting for login details to be confirmed and have an immediate need to check the status of a teacher you can email employer.access@education.gov.uk – just type ‘urgent query’ in the subject line. Schools have to pay for staff members’ DBS checks Not necessarily – it’s up to the employer whether or not to foot the bill. One DBS advisory service, clearcheck.co.uk. states: “There is no law which states that employers should be the ones who cover the cost of having a DBS check done, it’s just good practice for the employer to shoulder the cost. Not all employers take this approach though, and some may ask employees to stump up the cash themselves. For people who move jobs regularly of have more than one employer might then find themselves quite out of pocket, so if applying for a job which requires DBS checks it is worth enquiring about the process at the interview stage.” The answer to this is to take out an Enhanced with DBS Barred List check, which costs £44, and pay the extra £13 to be added to the Update Service. This £13 is a yearly fee which will allow the applicant to make changes, and for the employer to make a status check of the certificate to see if changes have been made. Teachers can transfer their DBS check from school to school Possibly. If teachers opt to be added to the Update Service, a new DBS check is not necessarily required for each school they teach in – it’s up to the new school. Supply teachers register for a DBS check through their agency. The Update Service website says teachers will only need a new DBS check if: an
Exploring the long-term impact of Reading Recovery
Literacy expert Dr Susan Bodman, National Lead for Reading Recovery, delivers training on literacy intervention in schools. Dr Bodman has experience teaching in primary schools as a SENCO and literacy coordinator, and working in learning support in secondary schools. Here, she discusses the need for early intervention for children struggling with reading in KS1… By the end of primary school, the gulf between good readers and those who struggle is well-established. In 2018, nearly 20,000 11-year olds had reading levels too low to be entered for the National Reading Test, or took the test but did not achieve any score. Why does early intervention matter? Early intervention programmes can show long-term gains and increase academic achievement, improve life chances and generate significant economic benefits, as recent independent research reports by Professor Jane Hurry and Dr Lisa Fridkin of the UCL Institute of Education and by Pro-Bono Economics demonstrate. Children aged five and six who had Reading Recovery (RR), a school-based literacy programme for the lowest achieving children, were found 10 years on to be more than twice as likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs including English and mathematics, and less likely to leave school with no qualifications or intensive special needs support, in comparison to those pupils who were not on the programme. How can schools make a difference? When supporting pupils with literacy difficulties, schools should choose an intervention that has; 1. Sound research evidence of impact Investing in intervention means that you want to be assured of results in your school. Interventions with research evidence showing similar impact in a range of school contexts are the most likely to yield good results. 2. 1-to-1 teacher/pupil ratio Evidence shows that for the very lowest attaining pupils, individual instruction is highly effective. This matters as early interventions need to provide more than twice the normal rate of progress. 3. Continuing professional development Training and sustained support are vital for the success of interventions for the very lowest attaining pupils. Ongoing professional development that offers teachers support and challenge will maintain fidelity to the programme and raise pupil outcomes. By investing in early intervention that works, schools give pupils the best chance of reaching age-expected attainment and staying there. Why Reading Recovery works RR is an effective intervention – with daily targeted 30 minutes lessons, your lowest-attaining literacy learners could progress fast. More than eight in ten pupils in Reading Recovery catch up with their classroom peers in 12-20 weeks. Teachers follow an accredited year-long training programme, learning how to use research-informed techniques and procedures. They work with children whilst training, and are supported locally by accredited Teacher Leaders. Find out more about Reading Recovery on the website. Follow on Twitter: @ILC_IOE #ReadingRecovery Recent research reports can be viewed here: home.kpmg
Educational technology company, LGFL works with police to block piracy sites
Not-for-profit LGfL is first educational technology company and internet service provider to work with City of London police to block known piracy sites. LGfL DigiSafe, safeguarding arm of not-for-profit internet service provider LGfL, is proud to announce that it is the first educational technology company and internet service provider to work with City of London Police to block all websites on the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit’s (PIPCU) Infringing Website List. The Infringing Website List (IWL) documents known piracy sites, which will now be blocked to LGfL’s 3,000 member schools across the UK. As well as preventing students from accessing inappropriate material, this move means that schools do not need to fear legal repercussions due to pirated material being accessed from the school site. The PIPCU is a specialist unit within the City of London Police funded by the UK Government Intellectual Property Office. The unit is dedicated to tackling serious and organised intellectual property crime with a particular focus on offences committed using an online technology platform. Together with a number of organisations, including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB UK) the PIPCU established the Infringing Website List to make it easier for individuals and organisations to exclude known, illegal sites from ad buying, selling or trading as well as to block websites included on the list. LGfL DigiSafe is LGfL’s strategic response to the complex challenges faced by schools: a Centre of Excellence dedicated to engaging and collaborating with teachers and safeguarding leads as part of its service offering. Committed to protecting children and teachers, LGfL DigiSafe considers it its duty to work with stakeholders such as the PIPCU to allow schools to enjoy the internet without risk. Online Safety and Safeguarding Manager at LGfL DigiSafe, Mark Bentley commented on the partnership, “LGfL DigiSafe is committed to partnering with relevant stakeholders in order to achieve our mission of saving schools money and keeping children safe. By working with City of London police to block its List of Infringing Websites to our community of over two million students we not only prevent children accessing inappropriate material but also provide reassurance to senior leaders that this illegal activity cannot be committed on the school site, meaning headteachers do not need to fear liability for copyright infringements”. Detective Constable Steve Salway of the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) said, “The Infringing Website List (IWL) is the first of its kind to be developed by law enforcement and we are pleased that LGfL DigiSafe has taken it on. The online safety of school children is of paramount importance and our IWL is able to prevent them from viewing inappropriate material. It will also put a stop to them accessing copyright infringing content, leaving London schools with extra peace of mind. “PIPCU is at the forefront of combating digital piracy. As part of our Operation Creative, City of London Police Detectives work with content owners and internet service providers to disrupt this criminal activity online. The disruption of internet infrastructure has seen over 1,800 illegal websites cease to operate, protecting UK consumers along with the preservation of the UK Creative industry.” For more information on LGfL DigiSafe (the first educational technology company and internet service provider) including a complete range of resources for online safety and safeguarding please visit onlinesafety.lgfl.net To find out more about the PIPCU and the Infringing Websites List please visit iabuk.com/policy/infringing-website-list-iwl
Innovative education App wins GSK Awards
Innovative activated charcoal research and music education App wins GSK UK Young Scientist & GSK UK Young Engineer of the Year Awards. Maeve Stillman, from St Mary’s College in Derry, and Grace Lord, Brendan Miralles and Aalia Sellar from Loughborough Schools Foundation have seen off tough competition from over 1,100 entries from across the UK to be awarded the top honours of GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year and GSK UK Young Engineer of the Year at The Big Bang Fair in Birmingham on Thursday, March 14. The two awards are the top accolades in The Big Bang Competition – an annual competition for young people aged 11-18 in full-time education or training – designed to recognise and reward achievements in all areas of STEM, whilst promoting vital STEM skills and confidence in project-based work. Winner of the GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year Award, 15-year-old Maeve Stillman from St Mary’s College in Derry, aimed to improve our understanding of how activated charcoal effects the absorption of everyday medicines including paracetamol for her winning project. The team from Loughborough, consisting of students from Loughborough High School and Loughborough Grammar School, took out the GSK UK Young Engineer of the Award category. The team’s project ‘Music Splash’, inspired by a need for better access to music education, is an app that uses machine learning to analyse music performance and provide feedback that helps the user improve. The standard of creativity in this year’s awards was exceptionally high, with other ideas including everything from aids for the visually impaired to sustainable fertilizer, and edible water bottles to a door with facial recognition. Previous winners of the competition, which is now in its fourth year, have gone on to forge successful careers in STEM, compete at international awards and present their groundbreaking concepts on television. The 2018 GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year, Emily Xu, represented the UK and won first place at CASTIC (China Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest), and a special donated prize at EUCYS (European Union Contest for Young Scientists). Emily is now pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London and has spoken at Parliament during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2018 as an ambassador for young women in STEM. This year’s winners will continue to show their ideas to the thousands of visitors to the annual Big Bang Fair at the NEC in Birmingham, which aims to inspire other young people to consider a career in STEM by showcasing the huge depth and breadth of opportunities available in the sector. Over 500 finalists from across the country were selected to show their ideas at The Big Bang Fair where ten were then shortlisted to pitch Dragon’s Den-style to panels of VIP judges including: Dallas Campbell (The Gadget Show and Bang Goes the Theory TV presenter) Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon (Co-founder of STEMettes) Roma Agrawal (structural engineer on The Shard, STEM promoter and TV presenter) Dr Ozak Esu (IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2017) Nikki Yates (Senior Vice President of European Mid-Sized Markets, GSK) Chris Hurst (Engineering Lead for Pharmaceutical Operational Performance, GSK) GSK has sponsored the UK Young Scientist of the Year award since 2017, as part of its work supporting STEM education throughout the UK. This year, GSK has extended its support to include the UK Young Engineer of the Year Award, to inspire future engineers and help address the UK’s annual deficit of 59,000 engineering graduates (The State of Engineering, Engineering UK). In January 2019, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) published a report on the skills gap in the pharmaceutical industry showing that UK STEM students have increased just 16% in the last ten years, compared to 63% worldwide. As a science-led global healthcare company, GSK believes the scientists and engineers of tomorrow will help to solve the biggest global healthcare challenges and are passionate about inspiring young people to study a wide range of STEM subjects. Nikki Yates, Senior Vice President of European Mid-Sized Markets, GSK, commented: “Seeing the incredible quality of creative thinking and STEM understanding that inspired this year’s winning entries reiterates just how vital awards like this are. They give our future STEM innovators and leaders unique opportunities to develop and showcase their talents and to inspire thousands of other young people in the process. I’m excited to see what our winners will go on to achieve.” Daljit Kaur, Head of STEM Innovation at Loughborough Grammar School, said: “We are all so proud of our team’s achievement. It has really inspired all our students to see what is possible. Awards like this can provide a real ‘light bulb’ moment for young people. They enable them to apply their STEM skills to areas which really interest them and help them see that the STEM skills they are learning in the classroom are transferable and prized in the real world. The role of a teacher or, an educator is pivotal in helping to shape young minds to realise their full potential, to realise that their ideas can help shape the future.” Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of Engineering UK, which organises The Big Bang Competition, said: “The judges have been blown away by the quality of entries from all the finalists – not only for their brilliant new ideas but for how eloquently they spoke about them to the crowds of people at The Big Bang Fair. Huge congratulations to Maeve, Grace, Brendan and Aalia. It certainly bodes well for the future that the engineers, scientists and inventors of tomorrow are already producing such astute and creative project work.” As a result of their win, Maeve, Grace, Brendan and Aalia will all benefit from a range of exclusive mentoring and work experience opportunities, and VIP visits to top science centres with their families. For more information about young scientist and engineer of the year click here
The Growing Role of College Mergers
Mike Hopkins, Principal of South and City College Birmingham, comments on the role of college mergers and keeping the students’ best interests at heart… Mergers and acquisitions previously carried a stigma in higher education, but the sector is seeing more than ever before. College mergers offer relief for a struggling establishment and provide a strong cultural change. Simply put, they offer an avenue for those seeking a strategy to turnaround a college if they are willing to put in the work and commitment. Why are college mergers on the rise? When merging with another, similarly-sized institution that operates in the same locality, both colleges can benefit from estates rationalisation. This means an institution can combine the best departments and if done right, be left with a leaner operation that doesn’t need to build new facilities, use the same pool of students and become more financially efficient. During my 11-year post, I have led two college mergers – the first between the former South Birmingham College and City College Birmingham, and most recently with Bournville College. For our second merger, we knew exactly what was needed to be done and the processes involved, so we were able to do things more rapidly. All preparation for the merger was done in-house and planned to the last detail. Bournville was previously a failing college, however, just 15 months after the merger, both South & City and Bournville were awarded a Grade 2 Ofsted inspection result, achieving a “Good” status across all areas. Are college mergers the future for education? I don’t think there’s a right or wrong college merger model. We can provide evidence from our latest inspection report that we are here to provide for students from many different backgrounds. We believe that if we get the student bit right, everything else follows. However, a merger may not be the best strategy for every institution. My suggestion for any college considering a merger is: make sure you fully understand what you are undertaking. Consider the drivers for your merger, carefully observe the financial state of the college you intend to partner with and think about the considerable amount of time and commitment that you need to invest; you will be involved in a lot more than just the day-to-day running of the institution. A merger needs to be done with the student’s best interests coming first. For more information on the Birmingham college mergers visit sccb.ac.uk
How Bookbuzz promotes a love for literature
QA Education magazine editor Victoria Galligan speaks to the team at Bookbuzz about how they engage young people with reading and promote a love for literature… How and when did Bookbuzz begin? Bookbuzz is a reading programme suitable for school children aged 11 – 13, regardless of their reading ability or learning needs. Developed by BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, we support schools to encourage reading for pleasure. The programme began in 2012. Five years on, over 150, 000 students from years seven and eight take part every year, receiving their own book to take home and keep. Who funds the programme? Thanks to the support of the Bookbuzz authors and children’s publishers, schools can buy Bookbuzz at the subsidised cost of £3 per student; receiving one book for every student, picked by them, 34 brilliant books for the school and a pack of practical resources including posters, bookmarks and tips to encourage reading for pleasure. Bookbuzz offers students the element of choice, allowing them to find the right book for them and get excited about books and reading. Where does the programme operate? Bookbuzz can be purchased by schools in England and Northern Ireland. Can you give some examples of your success stories? From running ‘book-tasting’ sessions, to getting heads of year to battle it out and make the case for their favourite book, we’re amazed by the dynamic ways schools approach choosing their books. And that’s so vital. Reading’s a really sociable thing – and this is a great way to get students talking about books. “Once my students have all chosen a book, I tell them about Bookbuzz Breakfast! I invite Year 7 to attend a ‘breakfast’ in the LRC. During the breakfast, selected pupils will stand up and read a passage from their chosen book to whet their classmates’ appetites…When all the food is gone, I give out the books and students settle down to read their book until break time.” “It’s a great way to make being part of Bookbuzz feel really special. After the breakfast students often come and borrow the books they did not choose.” Clare Thompson, Learning Resource Manager What plans do you have for 2019? An expert panel including school librarians, teachers and children’s booksellers are currently selecting the 2019 titles and we are looking forward to announcing them in May. Every year we see teachers and librarians using Bookbuzz in ever more creative ways to build a buzz around reading for pleasure in their schools. We can’t wait to see the programme in action in September 2019. To find out more about BookTrust’s Bookbuzz programme visit: booktrust.org.uk
Bett show celebrates the joy of learning to energise 35,000 teachers from around the world
A “mini movie” was commissioned by Bett and had its first playing this week at the opening of the annual trade exhibition, the world’s largest EdTech event attracting over 35,000 people from 130 countries around the world to inspire teachers to fall in love with teaching all over again. The animation and music were created by artist James Rosamond, a former teacher with over 10 years-experience teaching in Primary schools in the west of England and London. James has recently taken up a new career as an artist specialising in short-form pieces with original music that draw inspiration from urban life. In a previous life James was a musician, releasing music on famed London label Output and working with New Order and Trevor Jackson. The brief was to create a piece which celebrated the joy of learning and inspire the attendees at the show. It provides a moment in a hectic world that connects educators with the positive emotions that inspired them to fall in love with teaching. The animation was created using traditional stop-motion techniques which were manipulated in Photoshop and After Effects. Speaking about the commission James Rosamond said “To be asked to create a piece for such a prestigious event which many of my peers from education aspire to attend is a dream come true. I tapped into the joyous parts of being a teacher, it’s a career full of unknowns and quirkiness and this really came through in the final animation.” He went on to say “everyone knows at the moment being a teacher is hard, so the philosophy of fun is an essential tool for any teacher to try and stay in the profession, so to be able to make people smile, even for a minute is amazing!” Speaking on behalf of Bett, Fergal Kilroy, Head of Content for the Global Series said “over the last few years Bett has built a reputation for pushing at the boundaries by having a creative project to open the show. This year’s brief was more important than ever, our research has uncovered that 65% of classroom teachers believe they’ve spent over half their time dealing with policy change over the last three years. So, to be able to celebrate the work they do by reconnecting them to creativity will be hugely rewarding for all of us.” The animation was directed by Graham Clayton-Chance and features original music by James Rosamond. The piece will be seen by representatives from over 10,000 schools in the UK and abroad, 100 ministries of education and a range of speakers which this year includes the creators of Alex Rider, How To Train Your Dragon, The Dot, Scratch Programming and organisations such as Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and Lenovo. Bett 2019 an animation was shown to inspire teachers to fall in love with teaching all over again. To view the ‘mini movie’ click here
Careers advice you can give to students with a flair for fashion
If you have pupils who wish to study fashion at university, they’ll want to know about their career options after graduation. Luckily there are plenty of opportunities available, some of which they probably haven’t thought of yet. Students can discover a role in communications, or go down the finance in fashion route, so the opportunities are varied. Here CT Shirts, retailers of men’s casual shirts, take a look into the roles out there for fashionistas and have some careers advice which you can pass on to your pupils… Pattern graders An important role within the fashion industry is a pattern grader. They focus on producing scaled-up and scaled-down versions of design patterns, which enables the manufacturers to produce the same patterned piece of clothing in different sizes. There are various tasks within the role of a pattern grader including. The main tasks include; tracing the outline of a pattern with scanning equipment, quality checking to ensure that the final pattern is in-line with the original design and creating sample garments from the pattern to send to prospective buyers. In this role, employees need more than just an interest in design and textiles, but also mathematical skills. They must be able to take accurate measurements and make calculations in order to scale the patterns correctly. It’s also important that they enjoy being part of a team, so to cooperate with others in the design process, and be able to confidently use IT to work with a digitising table. There are a few different ways to get into a job as a pattern grader, employees don’t need to have a degree. Instead, they could take the apprenticeship route through college by studying subjects such as fashion or textiles. Or, work their way up from an assistant or pattern cutter to become a grader in a fashion company. Fashion illustrators A creative role to go into is a fashion illustrator, they are responsible for the fashion drawings and diagrams that represent the garment to others. They work closely with designers to create a conceptual sketch and illustration of the fashion products. In addition to this, they may produce advertising copy and images for promotional material for print and online coverage. To succeed in this role, employees need to be able to use computer design, as well as drawing by hand and have an eye for fashion. Generally, fashion illustrators have a degree in graphic design or a related subject. To get accepted onto a degree of this kind, they will need GCSEs and potentially A levels, or entry based on passing a foundation course. Alternatively, they can build up a strong portfolio and gain experience in relevant positions to impress prospective employees. Garment technologist A role students may not have initially considered is a garment technologist, but this is a highly important role in the fashion industry. This role is largely about quality control and investigative work with regards to the materials that are used to create fashion pieces. In this position, they’ll be involved in the design and development of new materials. Through testing new combinations of materials and fibres, people in this role look to find the best type of fabric for what’s to be made. These people work closely with designers, pattern graders and buying teams to find the right type of fabric for what’s to be made. They’ll also be expected to improve production techniques and help the company they’re working for to be more efficient. This might be to do with price and would involve liaising with buyers and suppliers to negotiate a cost that’s within the budget of the project. Or, they might be looking to make the company more sustainable, and therefore the technologist would investigate the production of the fabrics. Having an interest in the creative work that goes into the production of clothing and being aware of the textiles and manufacturing process would be essential. Employers may also expect students to have a degree in a related topic, such as garment technology and production, or students may complete a module around this as part of a wider subject. Or, look out for apprenticeship schemes and junior roles, where employees can work their way up to this role. Fashion journalist Much the same as a news writer, this role will see a journalist writing about the latest in fashion trends and accessories for a range of publications. With the online world being as big as it is today, a fashion journalist is no longer limited to securing a job for a print publication. There are a lot of opportunities available as there are so many online magazines out there. Journalists could also go freelance, but work isn’t guaranteed here. As part of the job, they’ll likely be required to travel and meet new people to conduct interviews and get the latest on fashion stories. A creative flair, love for writing and an interest in fashion will put students in good stead to becoming a fashion journalist, but there are some educational choices that students can make to better their chances of getting a career in this field. Choosing A-levels such as English language will further their creative writing skills, for example. There are speciality degrees out there too, such as the fashion communications course which will teach students more about the sector and increase their employability. A good way to impress employers would be to put together a writing portfolio. Start a fashion blog to write about the latest news in the sector and approach editors for freelance opportunities. Networking is also a great way to get to know about future vacancies. Try to secure unpaid work in relevant positions to build up experience too. Fashion accountant If students are interested in fashion and finance, then this is the role for them as it combines both. There are multiple finance roles available within the fashion industry, from retail accountants to accountants in textiles who ensure that a budget is adhered to when buying materials. Roles like this allow employees