Those that can – Did Teach
Are former teachers an untapped source of talent for business? Are they undervalued by traditional recruiters? Should we not have a responsibility to give people of such integrity a chance to succeed in a second career? Absolutely. We support some of society’s most selfless individuals and help companies acquire top tier talent for their business. Did Teach is the go to site for teachers who are looking to leave the profession or want to diversify their income. Here at Did Teach we firmly believe that education professionals are defined by reliability, professionalism, project management skill, integrity and resilience. We understand that it can feel overwhelming finding a new direction if you are considering leaving the teaching profession and that there is no single place for organisations to connect with you. So you can use our experience and connections to help you make the next steps to be successful. Did Teach was born from the certainty that outstanding teachers possess the skills to be successful in other careers. These altruistic individuals who have pledged their time, energy and commitment to improving the life chances of the next generation seek new challenges, new horizons beyond the confines of the classroom. We passionately believe that such people have the talent to thrive in other business sectors and it is the aim of our business to find them exciting jobs outside of education. As successful teachers ourselves we are fully aware of the qualities and capabilities that educators possess. However, we are also conscious that many outstanding teachers have ambitions outside of the classroom or want to enrich their experiences with “extra curricular” work. This is where the concept of Did Teach was born! That’s why we have been knocking on the door of Charities, EdTech, Start-ups, STEM Industries and major Blue Chips for two years to understand how teachers need to prepare themselves for new challenges outside the classroom. We are however still passionate about teaching and it is not our intention to prise outstanding teachers away from the classroom, we simply want to inspire talented people. Would teaching be a more attractive profession if individuals knew that their skills are valued after they have spent time in the classroom? Did Teach can help exceptional candidates from an educational background with career support in the following ways: Targeted Jobs Board. Career Transition workshops. Job update alerts. Join our tribe today www.didteach.com
Experience of working with children? You could be a foster carer.
Children come into care every day of the week. Often they have had a difficult time. Their parents might be ill or have a drug or alcohol problem. The family might be going through a tough time for another reason. Our foster carers step in to give a young person a safe space. They help them grow in confidence and build their self-esteem. And when possible, they support the young people to return home to their family. The foster carers we need Ideally, we are looking for people with experience of working with children, who have patience, commitment, and flexibility. Good communication and listening skills are essential. Does that sound like you? The different types of fostering There are lots of different types of fostering and we help foster carers decide what is right for them and the children they look after. Emergency foster carers As an emergency foster carer, you would look after children under 18 for up to two weeks. These are often the children that have had the most difficult experiences. As a result, they can: find it hard to trust people be nervous about building new relationships be struggling at school suffer from low self-esteem. We want foster carers who can help them through these difficult days. Specialist foster carer As a specialist carer, you would help children who have been struggling with their existing foster placement or at school. They may have complex emotional or social difficulties. You would give them the support to deal with their emotions and behave positively. We want specialist foster carers who are committed to making a difference to these children when they are at their most vulnerable. You will need to be able to deal with the difficulties these children face. Think that fostering could be for you? We pay an average of £380 a week tax-free for one child. You’ll also get a regular income if you foster with us because we always have children who need a home. And, unlike some independent fostering agencies, we don’t do this to make money. We always put the needs and interests of our children first. Our foster carers receive: a dedicated social worker to help support you one-to-one round-the-clock on-call support from our social work team excellent professional training and development to help you progress in your fostering career. Who can be a foster care? You must: live in the Manchester area be in good health and have a spare room be happy for us to carry out checks to see that you’ll be a good foster carer. Interested? Get in touch today for an informal chat on 0800 988 8931. Or visit manchester.gov.uk/fostering to find out more information.
Justin Craig Education
Tailored Small Group Tuition For Schools – GCSE & A Level Engage Students – Support Teachers – Demonstrate Progress We can help improve your students’ mindset and performance in exams, by providing tailored tuition in a stimulating, small group environment. With over 35 years experience of working with schools and parents, Justin Craig has a proven track record of helping students perform their best on exam day. Why use Justin Craig Education? We help your students: Catch up with revision or fill knowledge gaps Build expertise in exam technique and key subject skills Improve their confidence and attitude regarding their ability to succeed Increase their self motivation to study and revise We support your teachers and school: Supports teacher wellbeing by alleviating some of the pressure on teachers’ time Provides Department Heads with an alternative high quality, flexible and cost effective tuition option, which is proven to work to increase grades Enables Schools to give additional, highly targeted help to individual students or specific groups of students “GCSE results improved in all subjects supported by Justin Craig; Maths, Science, French and Spanish. I unreservedly recommend the Justin Craig School GCSE revision programme” Joan Deslandes, Headteacher, Kingsford Community School What We Do? We work with schools to design the best programme to help their GCSE & A Level students maximise their potential with less stress. We offer significant choice to schools on the content, location, duration and timing of courses, including the option of courses on school premises. Furthermore, all our courses are: led by experienced tutors, (teachers, heads of departments, examiners and professional tutors) comprised of small groups (maximum 9 students recommended) to optimise learning effectiveness designed in partnership with the school and tailored to fit specific requirements. Who is it for? With continual pressure to raise attainment levels year on year, a growing number of schools use Justin Craig Education to help Year 10-13 students maximise results. Schools also frequently use our courses for disadvantaged students, using Pupil Premium funding to help students achieve significant grade uplifts. The Education Endowment Foundation toolkit lists Small Group Revision as one of the most effective ways to help disadvantaged children achieve better grades. Our small group courses support students with minimum impact on school staff and show a clear audit trail for pupil premium spend. Our courses are designed to complement school work and encourage Year 10-13 students to overcome their personal academic challenges. This exam-focused learning consolidates knowledge, enhances exam technique and builds confidence. The focus of school revision courses varies between individual schools. However, generally our schools are looking for support in the following areas: Underachieving students High achieving students Borderline grade students Gifted and talented students Accelerated learning programmes By providing reassurance, structure and knowledge to students, we help students overcome their personal academic challenges and provide a springboard for further learning, revision and exam preparation. “We wanted to improve our pupil premium students’ grades and sent 28 of our students to study some key subjects that required attention. The courses far surpassed our expectations – with everyone improving their grades over and above previous results.” Laura McGregor, Baylis Court School Justin Craig aims to help students and schools by working in tandem with teachers to complement and build on work already taking place in the classroom, whilst also reducing their workload. Our Tutors Our tutors are teachers who excel in their subject, specialising in GCSEand A Level teaching. 97% of our tutors work in mainstream education, with many examiners and Heads of Department. All have up to date knowledge of the exam curriculum and exam requirements, and create a lively, vibrant, inclusive environment in our classes. We recruit only the best tutors. In addition to being subject experts, our tutors are: skilled at establishing what your students know and need, building on their subject knowledge and closing the gaps resourceful and well prepared, with the ability to create a flexible programme according to student/school requirements knowledgeable about examiner requirements and able to demonstrate strategies to achieve maximum marks, for example, by explaining how to interpret questions, identify key command words and formulate appropriate responses inspiring and motivational, helping to promote independent learning, time management and revision techniques beyond the course “Students were enthused by the excellent tutors who reinforced their understanding of key concepts across the unit. The result has been enhanced levels of confidence and improved performances in mock examinations (by two grades in some cases)” Samson 97% of students believe our courses achieved or exceeded their expectations 90% of students rated their tutor as either 4 or 5, out of 5 93% of students would recommend our courses to a close friend “Our tutor was really good, I asked for him specifically because we had him last year and he helped massively. He gives good feedback and information and echoes what I’ve been telling the pupils about skills and ways to hit the marks but he does it in his own way which reinforces what needs to be done. I cannot speak highly enough of his resources and his work, and in all honesty I have not been impressed with other experts from other providers. Everyone I have come into contact with at Justin Craig has been so helpful and understanding – you should all be proud of your customer service and work.” Erhan Bora, Head of RS and Sociology, Goffs Academy For further information, call our Schools Team on 01727 744340 or email schools@justincraig.ac.uk.
4 Energy saving tips for schools to save money
As schools continue to face budget constraints, finding ways to save money becomes more important than ever. One area where schools can make significant savings is by reducing their energy consumption. By implementing energy-saving strategies, schools can not only reduce their carbon footprint, but also save a substantial amount of money on their utility bills. In this article, we will discuss four energy-saving tips that schools can implement to reduce their energy costs and save money. These tips are simple, easy to implement, and can lead to significant savings over time. 1. Get the best energy rates Before we even get into reducing consumption, it makes sense to ensure that you are on the cheapest rates in order to make maximum savings. The first step is to check your school’s energy contract and ensure that there are no hidden fees or penalties for early termination. If you are on a fixed-rate plan, make sure that you have an understanding of how the rate will change over time. 2. Bill validation and cost analysis You may think the margins for error are slim when it comes to discrepancies in your energy bills. ESS recorded that nearly 20% of all energy bills contain at least one mistake, and if you consider the size of your site and the number of invoices you receive, this can become very costly over time. 3. Reduce school energy costs through lighting Given that lighting can make up to 40% of a school’s electricity bill, switching to a more efficient method, such as LED is a good investment for long term savings. LED lights retain up to 80% of their efficiency even after eight years, so they save energy, money and hassle. 4. Go green Solar panels are a good way of reducing your reliance on the grid and therefore reducing bills and cutting carbon. Not only are solar panels an effective way of reducing energy costs and saving money, but they are also an environmentally friendly option for schools. By harnessing the power of the sun, schools can significantly reduce their reliance on the grid, which not only lowers their utility bills but also helps to cut their carbon footprint. Installing solar panels is a long-term investment that has a wealth of benefits for schools, including reduced energy costs, improved sustainability, and increased energy independence. Moreover, with advances in solar technology, schools can now generate their own electricity, which not only saves money but also puts them in control of their energy usage. Overall, solar panels are an excellent option for schools looking to reduce their energy consumption, save money, and make a positive impact on the environment. In conclusion, implementing energy-saving tips can help schools save money while also reducing their carbon footprint. By taking simple steps such as getting the best energy rates, validating bills, switching to LED lights, and investing in solar panels, schools can significantly reduce their energy consumption and cut their utility bills. These strategies not only lead to cost savings but also promote sustainability and energy independence. As the focus on environmental responsibility continues to grow, schools can lead the way by adopting energy-saving measures that benefit both their budgets and the planet. By implementing these energy-saving tips, schools can make a positive impact on their finances and the environment, paving the way for a brighter, greener future.
Premiership Rugby Champions
An innovative new app harnessing latest technology and sporting role models to help primary school children discover their inner champion Premiership Rugby is on a mission to improve the lives and prospects of children and young people across England, using the power of rugby to inspire the current generation to learn, be active and discover their inner champion to help them achieve their potential. Understanding that being a champion isn’t just about being on the winning team, lifting trophies or scoring straight A’s, Premiership Rugby have developed Premiership Rugby Champions – an interactive cross curriculum-based digital app to inspire primary school children’s learning across multiple subjects whilst embedding digital literacy outcomes and developing important life skills. Curriculum mapped content Developed with expert learning technology company, Aspire 2Be, Premiership Rugby Champions will provide FREE interactive themed project based lesson plans for use in the classroom and outside. With digital literacy at the heart of all content, the first resources will tackle health, with modules on tackling numeracy and character to follow as the term progresses. It uses the inspiration and role models of Premiership Rugby Clubs to connect pupils’ learning to the world around them, via themed digital content and lesson materials. Initially aimed at primary schools (7-11-year-olds), the app aims to improve the educational outcomes for young children, increasing their digital know-how, self-esteem and raising their aspirations. Rugby World Cup “With rugby firmly in the spotlight this autumn because of the Rugby World Cup, we have the opportunity to influence perceptions, attitudes and behaviours for life. Our players will become role models to so many young people, so the launch of the Premiership Rugby Champions app is incredibly timely.” Said Wayne Morris, Community & Corporate Social Responsibility Director at Premiership Rugby “We appreciate teachers are extremely busy with resources stretched. We hope this app will help teachers create engaging, interactive lesson plans in line with the national curriculum and that pupils can relate to and be inspired by.” Developed by teachers for teachers Pilot testing of the app was carried out with a group of teachers in Hertfordshire, in partnership with reigning Premiership champions Saracens and the Hertfordshire Sports Partnership. Initial feedback has been incredibly positive with teachers reporting a positive impact on pupils as well as complimenting the ease of use of the platform, its effectiveness of meeting curriculum requirements and the adaptability of content to different age groups. “All of the sessions really engaged the students. As a teacher, it gives me everything I need and is packed with relevant curriculum links and resources.” Year 4 Teacher, High Wych Church of England Primary School “We got how it worked straightaway, it was really simple and effective. I really enjoyed that we all had to work as a team together.” Year 5 Pupil, Bedwell Primary School Register early and win Be one of the first 1,000 teachers to download the app and you will be entered into a prize draw to win tag rugby equipment for your school. Grow a classroom full of champions with the Premiership Rugby Champions App. Available for download now on iOS and Android. To find out more about Premiership Rugby Champions, visit http://www.premiershiprugby.com/champions and download the app.
Find your perfect career opportunities with Jooble
Jooble is a job search engine created for a single purpose: To help you find the job of your dreams! It provides more than 700,000 of vacancies in the United Kingdom. In the same way as any other search engine operates, Jooble does not compile all the information in its own database but conducts effective search through the network. You’ll get links to job postings from more than 15 different job sites throughout the UK. It is created to save your time and energy, enabling you to your desired job from a single query. Even from searching for ‘gourmets’, for instance, we have created a variety of tools such as an advanced search as well as a lot of filter options. Compared to using the newspaper or using a regular job board, job-hunting with Jooble may seem unusual initially, however, once you fully learn how to master it – you are guaranteed to find the job of your dreams. Depending on your experience and skills Jooble provides you with the list of the most relevant jobs. The teaching segment is presented with a variety of career opportunities, such as: Teacher jobs Teacher assistant jobs Depending on school type, there are available positions for: Primary School Teacher Secondary School Teacher According to the main subject, you’ll find jobs for Science Teacher, English Teacher, Maths Teacher, Geography Teacher, History Teacher, Music Teacher etc. Jooble team is constantly working in order to make a job search as simple as possible. It is constantly being fine-tuned, as new services and features are added every day. So – if you have any other ideas about how to improve Jooble, let us know. But, as it says: “A picture paints a thousand words”. So better try our search instead of reading about it!
The importance of educating young people about nature
Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee last week enjoyed input from Professor Donald Gray from the University of Aberdeen on the importance of educating children in and about nature. Professor Gray has done extensive research into why nature matters in childhood, including the fact that we have an inherent affinity with the natural world as human beings. He recognises it has a role to play in attention restoration, in empathising with nature and in embodied cognition, capitalising on the idea that our bodies and movement play a fundamental part in memory and learning. Professor Gray commented: “Imaginative play in the natural world is very important; if you give a child a car, they’ll play with it as a car but give them a stick and it could be a wand, drum sticks or a paint brush. It also has a huge impact on health and wellbeing, and is proven to support a decrease in stress and an increase in physical health. Even taking exercise outdoors has been shown to be more beneficial to us than that taken elsewhere. Children’s experiences in nature also appear to help them develop a resilience to mental ill health in adulthood and support a healthy environmental identity and understanding of the natural world.” The local authority has done its own research into the activities supporting outdoor learning, and learning in and about nature in schools across Aberdeenshire. Common examples include gardening, taking lessons outdoors, recycling and litter initiatives, and outings supported by the Council’s Ranger Service. Mintlaw Academy was cited as an example of best practice, having developed an extensive therapeutic garden after starting with a couple of tubs in a small courtyard area. The garden has been developed with a team of teachers, pupils, local businesses and members of the community creating a space with therapeutic features such as various paths leading to different areas, a beautiful shelter, sensory flowers and plants, bird feeders and artwork by pupils. The garden is a long-term project that will evolve over time and will include eco features such as solar panels, water features and areas cultivated purposefully to attract wildlife. One of the many benefits of the garden is in its use as an outdoor learning area for pupils with additional support needs and mental health issues. Young people have found this a hugely beneficial resource as an additional space for 1:1s with support staff, using the reflective area to promote discussion and the flower beds to weed and plant. Cllr Gillian Owen, Chair of the Education and Children’s Services Committee explained: “We’re pleased to see so many great examples of outdoor learning and of educating children in and about nature across Aberdeenshire. An outdoor learning space that is peaceful, tranquil and beautiful is the perfect place to support team building, confidence building, anxiety management, behavioural management as well as intergenerational opportunities for young people to work alongside other members of their communities, enjoying practical activities such as weeding or tending to animal habitats. Enabling pupils to learn and develop skills through planning practical projects and seeing those come to life has been shown to help engage young people in an overall positive school experience. We’d very much encourage teachers and support staff across the board to consider opportunities to harness the opportunities nature brings. The importance of educating children in and about nature was raised earlier this year as a Member Promoted Issue by Cllr Martin Ford. The work done to assess what’s happening across Aberdeenshire stemmed from this. Cllr Ford thanked officers for their input and added: “It’s clear to see that educating our children and young people in and about nature changes how well they cope with the world, how they see the world and what matters. This is fundamental to us as an education authority because although we’re doing some great work, we’ve heard just how important this is to what we’re trying to achieve at the end of the day.” Cllr Mark Findlater added: “We are doing everything we can to ensure young people across Aberdeenshire do grow up with the skills to help them understand, benefit from and look after nature. It is embedded in the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s standards for teachers, and there’s also an important role for parents through family learning.” For more information please email news@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
The Red House, Aldeburgh
Engaging and inspiring education sessions for all The Red House is the former home of the world famous composer, Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) and his partner, the singer Peter Pears (1910-1986). Located in the beautiful Suffolk town of Aldeburgh, The Red House is a unique resource for schools and provides an inspiring educational experience for all children. It has won awards for its work with families, children and young people. Benjamin Britten wanted to engage young people with classical music, as shown by his works such as Noye’s Fludde and A Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra. The Red House continues to engage young people through its range of exciting educational activities. All schools are welcome to enjoy and explore this site of local and national artistic importance. School Sessions Suffolk schools can enjoy free musical assemblies and there are a selection of sessions at The Red House for Reception, Key Stage 1 & 2 which link to all areas of the National Curriculum. All sessions are led by skilled education staff and are designed to allow children to engage with the site and its collections while working together as a team. As part of our offer: All teaching staff are welcome to a free pre-visit to The Red House All Suffolk schools are entitled to a free session given by our team at your school All our educational experiences are adaptable We also offer sessions for Key Stage 3 & 4 and are happy to work with High Schools and Academies to develop a unique visit, tailored just for you. Explore our variety of taught, onsite school sessions online at brittenpears.org. In school Sessions As well as exciting education visits to The Red House, we also offer half-day sessions at your school. Whether you want to explore the history, artefacts and music of Stone Age or Anglo-Saxon Britain or wish to enhance your Science sessions with a range of hands-on experiments, The Red House team is happy to bring the learning to you. Arts Award We are a registered Arts Award Centre and offer Arts Award Discover, Explore, Bronze, Silverand Goldto young people. Please contact us for further information on how we can help your children achieve an Arts Award qualification. We are also proud to be an Artsmark Partner Organisation. Contact Joe Carr, Collections & Learning Curator j.carr@brittenpears.org, 01728 451700 https://brittenpears.org
How To Create & Increase Space In Classrooms
How To Create & Increase Space In Classrooms Primary School Classroom Lofts – 25% off (September offer) Are you a primary school looking to increase your interior classroom space for learning & play? Educational Play are offering a ‘Back to School’ Promotion –25% off our Classroom Lofts for orders taken in September, pricing includes delivery and installation! * Classroom Lofts’ add a new and exciting dimension to your classroom. As well as providing additional Classroom space, our Lofts provide a wonderful structure for a range of role play opportunities. Amongst other things our Lofts have been dressed up as Shops, as Caves and as Ships! They have also been used as quiet reading areas and numeracy corners. Children love to look at the world from a new perspective and teachers appreciate the additional flexible space. Check out our standard range of Lofts at https://www.educationalplay.co.uk/offers/25-our-core-range-classroom-lofts. Bespoke Classroom Lofts: Why are we different? As well as offering the standard range we can also help you design a Loft to meet your own specific needs. Check out some of our bespoke lofts on our website. https://www.educationalplay.co.uk/classroom-lofts/bespoke To find out more call our friendly team on 01544 387103 *Pricing is valid for most UK mainland schools. Additional charges may apply for addresses above Glasgow and off-shore.