Category Archives: Education

Education, Food & Drink, News

Christ College Trio Launch Innovative Mobile Catering Business

Three entrepreneurial students at Christ College Brecon have embarked on a business venture to test their commerce skills and launched a brand-new mobile catering trike.

Lower Sixth pupils Lottie Cross, Fern Cumine and Fran Lauenburg debuted the novel catering tricycle at this year’s school Sports Day (14 MAY) providing on-the-go refreshments to pupils staff and parents. The seasonal trike will be adapted to serve hot snacks in the winter, while offering ice creams, fruit and chilled drinks in the summer terms.

The trike was funded by the Friends of CCB and allowed the trio – who have all been trained in Food Hygiene – to put their business planning, accountancy skills and marketing into practice. The constructive work experience includes overseeing stock, generating business, serving customers and cashflow management, and will count towards the pupils’ volunteering aspect of their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. All profits will go towards funding future school initiatives.

Boarding Houseparent at Christ College Brecon, Dyfed Thomas, said: “It was fantastic to see Lottie, Fern and Fran putting their business skills to use.

“I initially came up with the concept after noticing a lack of provisions at communal events based further away from the main school buildings and thought a mobile unit could be easily located across our school grounds.

“The inaugural outing of the trike was a huge success. The pupils planned and executed everything perfectly and the experience will be hugely beneficial to their learning and career preparation going forward.”

The trike raised over £500 at Sports Day which will be used towards purchasing an 80kg cargo trailer extension for the trike to be used for recycling and enable it to become totally self-sufficient.

For further information about Christ College Brecon, visit www.christcollegebrecon.com.

Education, Insurance, News

Towergate Insurance Brokers becomes Corporate Engagement Partners for Baglan Primary

Towergate Insurance Brokers has been named as one of 2B Enterprising’s new Corporate Engagement Partners, supporting them with their ‘The Bumbles of Honeywood’ programme at Baglan Primary School.

‘The Bumbles of Honeywood’ is an enterprise skills programme created by 2B Enterprising to support the next generation of young people with the skills required for both work and life.

Under the new Curriculum for Wales, primary school teachers are required to teach enterprise activities and ‘The Bumbles of Honeywood’ is an accessible, creative and inspirational portfolio of resources to support their delivery, designed by teachers and enterprise experts.

Businesses like Towergate Insurance Brokers, one of the UK’s leading independent insurance brokers, engage in the programme to support schools with these resources, covering the cost of the hundreds of interactive enterprise activities, lesson plans and classroom decorations.

Towergate Insurance Brokers, which has over 60 offices nationwide, has a strong Welsh presence and a long-standing reputation for contributing to the community in which it works.

Scott Mewse, Account Executive at Towergate Insurance Brokers, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to help Baglan Primary School access The Bumbles of Honeywood programme, so that all children have the opportunity to gain essential skills in a fun, engaging way.”

Jayne Brewer, CEO at 2B Enterprising, said: “We’re very happy to be partnering with Towergate Insurance Brokers to develop the key enterprise and life skills of the young people at their chosen school, Baglan Primary.

“Our Corporate Engagement Partners bring knowledge and experience from the boardroom to the classroom to help raise the aspirations of young people across Wales, and their investment in our future generations is celebrated.”

Towergate Insurance Brokers is one of the UK’s leading independent insurance brokers and risk management advisors. Boasting an experienced team of insurance specialists, Towergate Insurance Brokers has built a solid reputation for understanding many business sectors and industries, and the everyday risks that they face in today’s increasingly complex world. They also look after the insurance needs of private individuals and families seeking tailored personal covers.

Education, Education News, News

“Nobody has been counted out”: NASBTT responds to Initial Teacher Training accreditation process outcome

The Department for Education (DfE) has today notified providers who applied to Round 1 of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) accreditation process of the outcome.

Figures released show that 80 providers spanning school and university-based ITT have been accredited.

In response, Emma Hollis, Executive Director of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), said:

“Whilst we are obviously disappointed by the headline figure that only 80 providers have been successful in Round 1, it is important to stress that we are only part-way through the process and as such no provider has been counted out.

Providers who have not yet been accredited are able to re-apply in Round 2 (which opens on 23rd May, deadline 27th June) and, importantly, have been given feedback from DfE which will support their resubmission. They will only have to submit responses to the question or questions they did not pass, so can invest time over the next two months developing their applications in the specified areas. Needless to say, we are committed to supporting all NASBTT members through the accreditation process, and would encourage all providers who have not yet been accredited to continue with their applications into Round 2.

We would also encourage all those who are resubmitting or planning to apply for the first time in Round 2 to attend our forthcoming online networking events on trainee curriculum (8th and 9th June), mentoring (13th June), partnerships (14th June) and brokering new partnerships (15th June), which are free to NASBTT members. These will bring ITT providers together to discuss their approaches to each of these elements of the application, and to share ideas and thinking to support one another in the accreditation process.

We remain confident, based on assurances that we have been given from DfE (who we are in constant dialogue with), that there is no pattern or preference emerging in the accreditation process for size and scale of provider – a fear expressed by many.

We are also confident that the government at large will want to avoid a potentially catastrophic risk to the teacher supply chain – and quality and availability of provision – which would come from losing significant numbers of providers from the market and further undermining teacher supply at a time when ITT applications are back to, or indeed below, pre-pandemic levels.”

Business, Education, News

Arden University Launches New Business Psychology Course

Arden University – a leading UK-based provider of flexible, online and blended learning – has launched a new postgraduate MSc Business Psychology course.

The course has been tailored to allow psychology or business graduates to pursue a specialisation in business/occupational psychology and gain valuable employability skills that are highly sought after by organisations.

Speaking on why this course is so important, Gail Steptoe-Warren, Head of Psychology at Arden University, commented: “We have noticed an increasing demand for business psychology related knowledge and skills in the professional landscape.

“With research showing work-related stress on the rise during the pandemic, organisations within both the public and private sectors are increasingly hiring in-house occupational psychologists as they recognise the strategic advantage of having employees who are versed in applying psychology to the workplace.

“Because of this, we wanted to ensure our students are not only in the position to be sought after in the jobs market but also prepare them for the practical side of the role itself.”

The course covers the application of psychology to workplace settings and explores psychology across the employee lifespan – from attracting candidates through to employees exiting an organisation.

Through consultation with business psychologists, industry professionals and graduates of stage one programmes, the course has been designed from the ground up to develop authentic knowledge and skills that will support students in a range of roles – from running their own business through to management consultancy and beyond.

Theories are looked at from an individual, team and organisational level, and students will have the opportunity to explore interventions to help improve a variety of important business issues such as: increasing employee wellbeing, improving employee performance, managing organisational change and increasing the success rates of hiring new employees.

Through authentic assessment strategies, students will develop vital skills such as designing and evaluating interventions, writing consultancy reports and delivering online presentations.

This is key as Programme Leader, Anthony Thompson points out: “Organisations are increasingly viewing their employees as a strategic investment – this is seen in the growth of employee wellbeing initiatives, increasing use of personality and ability tests, as well as the rise of coaching and mentoring.

The knowledge, skills and abilities gained by completing the course will be incredibly attractive to a wide variety of organisations. This can give students the flexibility to move between different sectors and areas of a business.”

With Occupational Psychologist being a legally protected title within the UK, only individuals who have completed the Full British Psychological Society chartership are eligible to be Occupational Psychologists.

Successful completion of Arden’s MSc Business Psychology will fulfil stage one of the chartership process, enabling graduates to move onto stage two and eventually gain full chartered status and the ability to use the protected title of Occupational Psychologist.

https://arden.ac.uk/our-courses/postgraduate/masters/msc-business-psychology

Education, News

MIP Politecnico di Milano rebranding as they change name and identity

MIP Politecnico di Milano, the Graduate School of Business of the Milanese University, is changing image with a new name and brand. Now, the MIP brand becomes POLIMI Graduate School of Management.

The rebranding – led by Interbrand, a global leader in brand consulting – stems from the desire to express and accelerate a broad path of change, started in 2020, which has led the school to launch a new strategic plan and to redefine its purpose and values.

“The need to adopt a new name emerged precisely by talking to our students, alumni and partners, who are the beating heart of our School. MIP, an acronym for “Master in Ingegneria della Produzione” (Master in Production Engineering), no longer accurately reflected the school that we have become. We wanted something that represented us in all respects and that made it even more evident – also for an international audience – the link with the Politecnico and the city of Milan, which are both integral parts of the experience we offer our students”, explains the President, Vittorio Chiesa.

Dean Federico Frattini shares, “The path we have taken is not limited to a new logo and visual identity, but goes further, bringing with it a repositioning. POLIMI Graduate School of Management, in fact, wants to be a school rooted in Milan but present all over the world, recognised as one of the most innovative business schools and because of its commitment to building a more equitable, inclusive and mindful society.

“We want to be a place of experimentation where innovative, practical and applicable solutions are born to solve the most pressing problems that our society is experiencing. A School capable of promoting a true sense of community that brings together students, teachers and alumni, but also all the school staff. An institution that is committed to inspiring and promoting a genuine commitment to making our planet and society better, more sustainable, more equitable, and more inclusive places.”

In a context in which business schools are traditionally associated with career progress, maximising their students’ salaries, and employment data, POLIMI Graduate School of Management aims to distinguish itself more and more through the quality of its education – which is already widely attested – and for its ability to convey a new message that speaks of a passion for innovation, as well as collaboration, respect and attention to the world around us.

“Today, the world’s most influential brands have a responsibility to lead the economic, environmental, social and cultural debate, contributing to the development of the communities in which they operate. This is particularly true in the case of an institution like POLIMI Graduate School of Management”, says Manfredi Ricca, Interbrand’s Global Chief Strategy Officer. 

“The growth trajectory developed with the School focuses on the three aspects that make it unique – Make, Connect, and Ignite. A true manifesto for change which will inspire the POLIMI Graduate School of Management’s next strategic moves, aimed at consolidating its local impact and global growth.”

Education, News, Tech

New Resources Supporting the Integration of Minecraft: Education Edition into Classroom Instruction Now Available from Discovery Education

Discovery Education today announced the availability of a host of new resources designed to support the integration of Minecraft: Education Edition (M:EE) into classroom instruction.  Accessible through Discovery Education’s award-winning K-12 platform, these resources complement M:EE’s ability to inspire student exploration, experimentation, and expression. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.

The Minecraft: Education Edition Channel, now available within the Discovery Education platform, provides educators useful lesson plans as well as ready-to-use activities that support students as they explore Minecraft Worlds and uncover important subject area content and skills. Furthermore, students can demonstrate creativity and showcase evidence of learning through an editable showcase board built within Discovery Education’s content creation tool, Studio. With Discovery Education’s dynamic set of learning supports, educators have a new set of resources supporting the integration of M:EE into Discovery Education’s math, SEL, STEM, and science lessons.

Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education’s K-12 platform facilitates engaging, daily instruction in any learning environment.

Discovery Education’s team continues adding, contextualizing, and organizing exciting new content as well as timely and relevant resources to the platform each month in response to current events and the ever-evolving needs of educators. These resources, sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards, and help educators bring the outside world into STEM, math, science, and SEL instruction every day.

Minecraft: Education Edition takes everything players love about Minecraft and adds collaboration tools, classroom controls, and more into an open-world game where the only limit is students’ imagination. Available for Windows, iPad and Chromebook, M:EE includes exciting immersive worlds such as Sustainability City, that invites students to explore aspects of sustainable living, from forestry to wastewater, recycling to clean energy, and more, and Code Builder, a feature that allows educators and students to explore, create, and play in the immersive Minecraft world by writing code.

“Minecraft: Education Edition offers educators a powerful tool with which to engage students and we are excited to offer resources that support its integration into instruction,” said Mike Synoground, Senior Vice President of Product Design at Discovery Education. “Together, we are building exciting learning environments that promote the development of creativity, digital citizenship, and critical thinking skills that prepare today’s learners for future careers.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.

Education, Law, News

The University of Law launches US Bar Preparation Course 

The University of Law is to launch a US Bar Preparation Course, to prepare non-US graduates and lawyers to take the New York or California bar exam. 

The course, which will provide bespoke workshops to help students bridge the gap between their legal knowledge and US law, has been developed in partnership with Themis, a leading provider of bar exam preparation courses.   

Especially designed for non-US law graduates and lawyers, the flexible course is offered on a part-time and online basis that allows students to choose when to study content on an adaptive study calendar, enabling them to complete the course within six to nine months.  

Over this period, students will learn Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Torts, and more. Students will be assigned a licensed Attorney Adviser who will mentor students throughout the programme. 

The course will not only allow students to qualify as attorneys in New York or California, but also enhance employability opportunities and distinguish themselves as standout candidates in the market. 

Students will have the choice to take the California or New York bar exam, depending on eligibility. To take the California bar exam, students must be a qualified lawyer from any common or civil law country. For the New York bar exam, students must have completed a 3-year full time on-campus, accredited LLB from a common law country, with at least 166 credits in common law. 

The University of Law will also be the only UK provider of the course that offers past papers for US bar exams. 

 

Richard Douglas, Chief Operating Officer at Themis Bar Review, said: “​We at Themis are committed to providing innovative, adaptive, and comprehensive products to all those studying for a US bar exam. 

“Our years of experience providing supplemental materials specifically tailored for foreign-educated students, combined with our history of customized programs for our partner schools, position us perfectly to guide ULaw students to US bar exam success. We are honoured to collaborate with such a prestigious institution and look forward to a productive partnership with ULaw.” 

 

Peter Crisp, Deputy Vice Chancellor Law, at The University of Law, said: “Law is an incredibly competitive field of work and students should be proactive in further developing their knowledge of law where possible, ultimately improving their employability. 

“The US Bar Preparation Course is a chance for graduates and lawyers to make themselves stand out in the field, as well as opening the door to the possibility of an international career and other specialist areas of law. The ULaw/Themis course is also the most affordable and flexible option.” 

 

Education

Educ8 Training continues exceptional growth with Aspire 2Be acquisition

Following the recent announcement of its employee ownership, leading Welsh training and education provider Educ8 Training continues its impressive growth strategy with the acquisition of digital solutions company Aspire 2Be.

 

With an unparalleled reputation for delivering high quality training programmes across a diverse range of sectors, Educ8 Training, which celebrated 18 years of excellence last month, has already seen significant developments in 2022.

 

The Caerphilly-based business’ most recent announcements include the expansion into England with the acquisition of the prestigious Haddon Training, followed by the news of their Employee Ownership Trust scheme, which saw its staff become majority owners of the business.

 

As of 2013, Swansea-based Aspire 2Be has delivered a range of bespoke digital solutions across both education and business sectors globally, after founders Jeremy Stephens and Simon Pridham identified a gap in the market for digital learning in the education sector.

 

Simon Pridham, Managing Director at Aspire 2Be, will continue to run the business, joining the Educ8 Training Group Board.

 

Mr Pridham said: “Educ8’s impressive track record and recent transition to employee-ownership posed a truly exciting opportunity; to join a dynamic group where staff are rewarded for the fast growth they help realise.

 

“Never before has the demand for remote working and learning been so evident. The partnership of Educ8 and Aspire can help address these digital skills gaps, delivering innovative, high-quality training opportunities.”

 

Aspire 2Be specialises in designing bespoke digital solutions, through a process of organisational change by creating programs and platforms which encourage, promote and utilise the latest cutting-edge technologies and techniques. It is the only UK based Professional Development Partner of all three tech giants – Apple, Google and Microsoft.

 

Grant Santos, Educ8 CEO, said: “After a number of exciting business developments, the acquisition of Aspire 2Be will enhance our delivery of high-quality training, support our digital transformation strategy and continue our passion for ensuring our learners, employers and staff reach their full potential.

 

“Since Educ8 was founded in 2004 to address skills shortages in Wales it has been a key provider of apprenticeships and vocational learning, working with employers of all sizes, from micro-organisations, through to SME’s and global multi-national corporations.”

 

A champion of employee engagement, Educ8 was named Best Mid-sized Company to Work for in the UK in 2021, an accolade the business continues to strive for as it currently ranks #1 for the UK’s Best Big Company to work for in 2022.

 

Dealmaking experts GS Verde Group advised throughout the transaction.

 

To find out more about studying an apprenticeship or working with Educ8 Training, visit www.educ8training.co.uk.

Education, News, South West

Devon primary school voted as a Surprise Supplies winner

Bridgerule CofE Primary School has been voted as a winner of RGB Building Supplies’ Surprise Supplies initiative and now has £1,000 to spend on materials at RGB’s Holsworthy branch.

RGB invited charities, schools, community groups and care homes from across the region to get in touch and explain how a donation of materials would help to complete a project. Alongside Woodside Animal Welfare Trust in Plymouth, Bridgerule Primary School received the most votes following a public poll and each winner has received a donation of £1,000.

Bridgerule Primary School is aiming to transform an area of grass in its playground into an all-year-round sensory and quiet garden where pupils can go to talk or enjoy some calming space. The project will include plants that provide gentle fragrance and some seating for chatting with friends. The £1,000 donation will be primarily used for this project.

Anne Bunning, Principal at Bridgerule CofE Primary School, commented:

“We’re delighted to have been voted as a Surprise Supplies winner and thank you to every parent and member of our community who voted for us, and to RGB for the donation. The new area of garden will be an important part of our school and we have a group of parents who are on standby and ready to help bring it to life – we’re excited to get started with the project.”

Tony Curtis, Branch Manager at RGB Holsworthy, visited the school to learn more about their plans. Tony added:

“This is exactly the type of project that we want to help with Surprise Supplies. Congratulations to Bridgerule Primary School and good luck with the project – we look forward to helping with materials and ensuring the £1,000 goes as far as possible. I can’t wait to return to see how the donation has been used.”

 

Education, Law, News

The University of Law launches SQE 1 Preparation for Legal Professionals course

The University of Law (ULaw) has launched a new course for professionals working in the legal industry who are looking to qualify as solicitors in England and Wales using the SQE pathway. 

 

The new course is designed to ease the pressure of studying and working full time and is spread out over 40 weeks, with 10 hours of study per week. The SQE1 Preparation for Legal Professionals course is flexible, allowing students to pause their studies, allowing maximum flexibility around professional workloads.  

 

ULaw’s SQE programmes focus not only on preparing to take the SQE but also on enhancing the commercial and personal skills and behaviours needed to equip lawyers for the world of work.  

The aim of the SQE1 Preparation for Legal Professionals is to provide candidates with the detailed knowledge they will need to pass the SQE1 assessments, while taking into account their existing knowledge and skills. 

 

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the new centralised way to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It is replacing the current Legal Practice Course (LPC) route to practice and the QLTS. SQE1 and SQE2 are centralised assessments mandated by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority SRA. 

 

Peter Crisp, Deputy Vice Chancellor Law at ULaw, said: “Our programmes build on our heritage of outstanding teaching and support for our students. They incorporate the latest learning technology and flexible study options which we are confident will ensure exam success in the SQE for those aspiring to become solicitors, as well as supporting those who are already working in the legal profession to qualify.  

 

“The introduction of our SQE1 Preparation for Legal Professionals course will enable those already working in the legal profession to continue the great work they do whilst furthering their legal education and readying them for the new SQE route to qualification.” 

 

For more information about ULaw please visit www.law.ac.uk