Raise and Shine! Breakfast Clubs for school children expand across the country
Increasing poverty has brought the problem of hungry school children to critical levels, with teachers reporting rising numbers of children unable to concentrate or misbehaving in class as a result of not having been fed properly at home before arriving at school.
Schools across the country are responding to plea for help by setting up 'Breakfast Clubs' for students. Typically there is no discrimination between those families that can afford it and those that cannot, every pupil will be able to start their school day fed and ready to learn. It is really important that as many parents as possible take up the new service as it will save them money and it positively contributes to making a collective effort to get children into school bright and early, and ready to learn.
Proponents of free school breakfasts say they the service will improve pupils' academic concentration, attendance, behaviour, encourage healthier eating habits and help improve relationships between parents and the school. All of this is good stuff isn't it and what we want for all children?
A charity called Magic Breakfast is the leader on this initiative, flying the flag high for it's need. Demand is high, they now have over 140 schools on their waiting list. This week two regions have stepped forward in a big way, London has invested £650,000 to helping over 50 schools in London and Blackpool has promised 12,000 primary school students breakfast every morning.
We work with schools across the country and think Breakfast Clubs are a wonderful initiative. We have been surprised, and disappointed, to see some people commenting negatively about them. Many feel that it's not the school's responsibility to provide this service and parents should be feeding their children before the day has begun. The fact is many don't bother. Either due to poverty, lack of education about how important the first meal of the day is, or a general can't be bothered behaviour! We often see school children in my local shop and petrol station filling up on junk. Are we suppose to turn a blind eye and ignore it, or do something about it? I'd always stand for the latter.
TV impact on the classroom and student learning
TV shows like ‘The Apprentice’, ‘Dragons Den’ and ‘The Secret Millionaire’ have had a huge positive impact on young people. They have opened up their eyes to the world of business, passion for enterprise and made entrepreneurship sexy! Being your own boss is achievable.
You sometimes do find that the stereotypes associated with business still do exist, that all entrepreneurs are white middle aged men wearing suits. The reality is very different!
Last year we saw a 15% increase of 16-24 years starting their own ventures and we’re now seeing more start-ups from women than ever before. The new Start Up Enterprise Loan being offered by the government is a step in the right direction and will give many their first step on the business ladder. In addition to the cash support young people also receive a mentor, whose time and experience will be invaluable to facilitate their learning curve. More details are available here http://www.enterprisenation.com/slk/
The School Speakers team have been glued to this year's series of The Apprentice. We would like to welcome on board Adam Corbally and Nick Holzherr as speakers. We asked students and teachers who their favourite characters were from this year’s show and these two gentleman topped the scoreboard. Read about Adam and Nick on their speaker profiles.
Carl Hopkins and Sue Stone from The Secret Millionaire already visit students through School Speakers. We were touched, and inspired, by entrepreneur Matthew Newbury’s episode during May 2012 and we’re delighted that he is now available to visit students too. Matthew’s profile is available here.
We have a number of student enterprise days available, The Apprentice and Dragons Den, themed being very popular, see here.
View & Comment on this post - June 1st, 2012
Why good, objective careers advice is needed for students.
School Speakers passionately believes that all students should have to good, objective careers advice. We have a wealth of speakers who visit students all across the UK inspiring and advising on career destinations, employability skills, CVs and interview techniques. To view our careers speakers please click here
Speaking recently at the Institute of Career Guidance - Commissioning Career Guidance Services conference in York, David Andrews OBE listed four key reasons to invest in careers guidance. These were:
1. The 14-19 education system and beyond will not work without careers guidance.
2. It is not possible to reduce the number of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) purely by having a targeted support service.
3. Results will go up as careers guidance raises aspirations, increases motivation and raises achievement.
4. 10% of students starting a higher education course do not complete. Careers guidance encourages research so students are informed about their journey.
These outlined points came in the week that the Department for Education confirmed its statutory careers guidance requirements which all schools must deliver from September 2012. Under Section 29 of the Education Act 2011, schools now have a duty of care to secure access to independent careers guidance for their pupils in years 9 to 11. Careers guidance secured under the new duty must:
• Be presented in an impartial manner
• Include information on the full range of post-16 education or training options, including Apprenticeships
• Promote the best interests of the pupils to whom it is given
Through the new requirements, schools have been made more accountable for the successful progression of students to further education, higher education and skilled employment, providing independent guidance along the way.View & Comment on this post - May 3rd, 2012
Why Enterprise and Entrepreneurial skills are important for young people
In a fast changing world, which is becoming increasingly competitive, it's essential for young people to leave school with a range of skills that are needed to survive life outside the classroom. These skills can be referred to as an 'enterprising toolkit' and its content is at the top of every employers agenda; ultimately as educational leaders it is our responsibility to help students gain their first step on the employment ladder. An enterprising mind-set has been proven to support academic performance, confidence and all round aspiration. It is key for young people to understand the importance of social responsibility and how it's an integral part of tomorrow's business world. In the wider world we should ask all young people to use their talent, contribute and make a difference. We have a number of speakers visiting schools to teach students enterprising skills.1. Being a young person in today’s world job hunting, or deciding a career path, is a bit like walking over an exploding mind field. You only have to pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV to see the ever depressing statistic bombs going off:
2. The pool of 16-24 years old unemployed seeking benefits has now risen to a staggering 1.3 million and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
3. A recent survey revealed that top employers feel that 1 in 3 students leaving school do not have the appropriate skills for today’s work place.
4. A record number of graduates are unable to find work with an estimated 30% of last year’s leavers still unemployed
5. It’s estimated that there are approx. 150 young people venturing after every one opportunity – whether that be a job, apprenticeship or university place
6. The increased cost of going to university has deterred a suggested 10% young people from applying to university
The days are long gone from students being on one way transmission completing A Levels, walking into university and then strolling into a semi-guaranteed £25k a year job. Alternatives to university are urgently needed and starting your own business is now a valid career option for young people, we saw an increase 15% of 16-25 entrepreneurs in 2011.Employers have a long list of skills they demand from their work force and young people are expected to arrive at work day one with some of these. The top 100 employers were asked the key skills they wish for from young recruits:
Good communication skills, applies to written and verbally English
Good attitude – hard working and eager to learn. Realising that they’ll have to put in the hours and start at the bottom to climb the ladder.
Be a team player and also have the ability to lead.
Use their initiative and be proactive.
Take a risk, grab a challenge and push themselves out of their comfort zones!
Be emotionally robust and resilient to change (including rejection and failure).View & Comment on this post - February 29th, 2012
Antprentice You're in Business
Mad Ants are a National retail sports company who have decided to revolutionise student enterprise in the UK by placing their companies Infrastructure to encourage and develop work related learning for enterprising students.Student teams from schools/college/universities will have the opportunity to run their very own mini sports retail business with live products and complete practical business tasks under the leadership of the Mad Ants Directorship team, the team with many years experience in education, creative design & marketing, finance & business have the perfect knowledge to lead and develop the teams. The term long project culminates in a business awards evening. A team building event for the winning team and a 2-6 week paid summer Internship for the most enterprising student at Anthill House.
Students will undertake 8 workshops covering all aspects of business. Learning vital skills in management, finance, marketing & sales. As well as covering all areas of key skills, the project covers the curriculum delivery of Economic Well being and Financial Capability as well as 6 hours of Student Enterprise learning.View & Comment on this post - January 30th, 2012
Free Careers advice for students from Young Chamber
Most of us use social media technology – in fact, I’m using it now, in writing this blog.
So I’m really pleased to see that schools and students can take full advantage of it to boost enterprise activity and help them make the right decision on jobs and careers.
The 5th Matrix has been created by Young Chamber UK, and because I am their Honorary President, I got the chance to launch this new on-line careers and networking platform recently.
5th Matrix helps students to research, develop and collect information about careers opportunities, and the skills and training required, in a fun and interactive way. It means young people of just about any age can explore jobs and careers, share information, and make contact with businesses in a safe environment.
To find out more and sign up: http://www.youngchamber.com/fifth_matrix.aspx
View & Comment on this post - January 12th, 2012January Sale
School Speakers January Sale
2011 has been a busy year for School Speakers! We have now over 165 speakers registered with us, delivering workshops and talks across all areas of the curriculum on a nationwide basis to students of all ages and skill levels.
As a thank you for your continuous support if you book a speaker before the 31st January for academic year ending July 2012 and you will receive a discount of 20% off the speakers fee.
We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
School SpeakersView & Comment on this post - December 22nd, 2011
Teens On Tuesday
School Speakers is passionate about teen entrepreneurs and supporting young people in business. Claire Young just heard about a fantastic event that Jacqueline Gold is running through her Twitter stream on Tuesday 20th December. The competition is called Teens on Tuesday, or #TOT, and is a one off event designed to complement her regular Wednesday competition for female entrepreneurs which she calls Women on Wednesday (#WOW).
Jacqueline Gold has a very successful career working as CEO of Anne Summers and Knickerbox and is undoubtedly an inspiration to male and female businessmen across the UK.
With such a fantastic career herself, Jacqueline is dedicated to inspiring and helping other people get their first step on the ladder when setting up their own business. The competition will involve teenagers (under 20's) with small businesses tweeting to Jacqueline about their business and what makes it so special. Jacqueline will then pick the 3 businesses that she thinks have the most potential and re-tweets them as well as giving a brief explanation as to why she thinks they're great. It's excellent exposure for these teen businesses as Jacqueline has around 18 k followers, many of whom are influential in the business and entrepreneurship fields.
The winners will also receive permission to place her TOT badge on their website – letting the world know that Jacqueline thinks their business is great.
This is a really fun competition designed to generate publicity for small businesses that are set up by pro-active teenagers with a drive to success. If you have a business, and are under 20 years old – then don’t forget to tweet @Jacqueline_Gold with the hashtag #TOT between 1-2pm on Tuesday 20th December. This is a great opportunity boys and girls- don’t miss out!
View & Comment on this post - December 14th, 2011Help I'm a Young Person - I need an opportunity!
THE APPRENTICESWith unemployment amongst young people at a record high, I have spent a lot of time recently writing and speaking about issues surrounding this and ways of tackling them.
The current job market is a statistical minefield and in terms of apprenticeships there are approximately 87 people applying for each available apprenticeship position. I feel the government should be investing more money into helping employers fund more apprenticeship schemes and running them for longer periods of time instead of short, eight week placements which isn’t long enough for young people to learn adequate skills.
I also feel there is a lack of information out there for people. The majority of Job Centres and schools don’t offer young people enough in terms of career advice and/or training – a severe oversight in my opinion. The average time for a consultation with someone at a Job Centre is around three minutes and I’m sure most would agree this doesn’t allow scope for proper assessment or consultation.
There are certainly some schools stepping up to the mark and making the effort to help their students, despite having careers services pulled from public education, but so many more aren’t doing enough. Young people need the support of schools and careers services now, more than ever.
Some of the current systems in place, such as school leavers and graduates being excluded from apprenticeship schemes and having to be on benefits for nine months before they can apply for them, seems ludicrous. This also has undertones of young people being viewed negatively as lazy and unwilling to work, when in fact the current economic climate is affecting people across the board, from school leavers to those with masters degrees.
One area that is reacting more positively is the academies who are looking to integrate more relevant subjects into the curriculum, as well as more vocational training and work experience placements into areas of the curriculum to help kick-start schools leavers looking to get into a career and preparing them for the world of work.
Moving forwards, I hope Nick Clegg can work to make his scheme more streamlined and to fund apprenticeships instead of subsidising them to make them more appealing to employers. I also hope society can become more understanding of social and moral responsibilities to help young people gain the skills they need, rather than dishearten them further.
Claire YoungView & Comment on this post - December 5th, 2011
World AIDS Day 1st December 2011
What will YOU do this World AIDS Day?
That's the World Aids Day Strap Line (http://www.worldaidsday.org/ ) and it holds an important message for us all. What WILL we do? December 1st provides us all with a crucial focus to bring our awareness back to this hugely important world health issue – how HIV is acquired and how it is spread.
In schools and colleges across the country we have in this Thursday an amazing opportunity to involve everyone in activities which inform us and get us thinking about two key messages – Being Aware and Acting Aware (http://www.hivaware.org.uk/ ). The day provides another forum for us to examine our own values, beliefs and actions, and to address stereotypes and discrimination. A well planned World AIDS day and carefully executed activities can bring about really positive changes.
A day that starts with an AIDS awareness assembly, possibly with an external speaker with experience, provides the chance to make a massive impact at many levels making some of the following points about HIV in 2011.
- Over 90% of people with HIV were infected through sexual contact
- You can now get tested for HIV using a saliva sample
- HIV is not passed on through spitting, biting or sharing utensils
- Only 1% of babies born to HIV positive mothers have HIV
- You can get the results of an HIV test in just 15-20 minutes
- There is no vaccine and no cure for HIV
If everyone involved in the activities to follow is present then questions raised can be addressed throughout the rest of the day (and beyond.)
In classrooms with no computer access there's a printable quiz from UNICEF which we can use for “being aware” - and to dispel some common myths about transmission www.unicef.org/lifeskills/files/1.KnowingYourRisk.doc This not only fits perfectly in any health studies , citizenship, social studies, sex and relationships education sessions but also in the less obvious subjects like history, geography, religious and cultural studies and even careers in caring.
My personal favourite activity as a sex educator has got to be the Condom Olympics (stretching, blowing up, water filling, speed demonstrations, speed demonstrations with blindfolds etc) as there's a very clear message to be made about how easily we can protect ourselves and our partners from sexually acquired HIV by using barrier protection. It's a very good fast paced ice-breaker, containing visual auditory and kinaesthetic components, and is always well received.
But let's not miss the opportunity to use our IT sessions to raise awareness of the materials both on-line generally and in our students' favourite social networks. Facebook for example provides links to hundreds of HIV/AIDS related pages and groups offering materials which range from simple information sharing to campaigning, for example UNICEF has an online quiz and the National AIDS Trust provides facts and links to external sites https://www.facebook.com/pages/NAT-National-AIDS-Trust/28986393316
As a nation are exceptionally good at engaging with fundraising activities, and the activities are in themselves awareness raising. How about using some of the hivaware website's fundraising ideas like Bake Aware not only to raise money but also, for example, to explore the meaning and use of the Red Ribbon? http://www.hivaware.org.uk/act-aware/ideas-for-fundraising/fundraise/bake-aware.php
I would like to finish by saying though that AIDS education should not about one day once a year, and so there has to be an ongoing commitment if we are to have an impact on the “Acting Aware” aspect of HIV/AIDS. There is international evidence that when the topic ceases to be given high priority in education and of course when the resources required to sustain the necessary level of education are withdrawn, then unsafe behaviour returns. The ABC campaign in Uganda in the early 2000's and the “Don't Die of Ignorance” condom campaign in the UK in the 1980's are often quoted as examples of this how sustaining health promotion is crucial to long term behaviour change . Choosing to engage in safe behaviours and also changing from an unsafe behaviour to safer activities are both complex, and it would be wrong of me to suggest that one day will in itself be the answer.
By valuing World AIDS Day and ensuring that all of the key messages are repeated, sustained and taken seriously by those delivering them we can and will provide a really sound basis for the kind of open healthy discussion that leads to the desired healthy choices.
Barbara Hastings-Asatourian
Want to book Barbara to visit your school? Find out more here.
View & Comment on this post - November 29th, 2011Anti-Bullying Week
National Anti-Bullying Week- 14th-18th November 2011- A chance for your school/academy to demonstrate it's an anti-bullying organisation
Every year in November the UK shines a light on the issue of bullying and across the country schools and academies play their part to show everyone that bullying is not OK.
I was bullied when younger at primary/secondary school and sadly didn't know what to do about it or who to turn to at school. There is so much schools can do to prevent this from happening such as smile and compliment days, assemblies, drop-in-sessions to teams of young people taking ownership of the issue and coming up with creative approaches- the possibilities are endless!
Currently as an ambassador for The Diana Award I work with schools/academies and other organisations to inspire young people and adults to play their part in making sure everyone feels happy and safe and encourage a culture of looking out for each other. I visit organisations to tell my bullying story, deliver interactive workshops and work with young people to shape their school or communities approach to the issue of bullying. The best schools look at this issue all year around, in all lessons/contexts and sometimes they need a little bit of inspiration, which is where I come in!
Remember it's not just anti-bullying week for one week- it's all year around!
This year's theme is 'Stop and think- words can hurt'.
Interested in booking Alex? contact enquiries@schoolspeakers.co.uk
Check out Alex's work here: http://www.youtube.com/user/SchoolSpeakers?feature=mhee#p/f/6/TPY6RK_bLbwView & Comment on this post - November 9th, 2011
Careers Advice - Now Is The Time
As a topic close to my heart, I was pleased when research recently published by a vocational qualification exam board, showed that a quarter of teenagers have NEVER received any careers advice or guidance. How on earth can young people be expected to make decisions about their future when they’re not provided with any information in a consistent, objective manner!Effective careers support and guidance is vital to teenagers when current issues surrounding university fees, apprenticeships and skills are at the forefront of students’ worries. Objective advice is key so that students know all of the options available to them.
At a time when we have record figures of young unemployed, advice for 16-18-year-olds is critical. This is why I started my School Speakers business – to provide a service that impassions and motivates young people; it provides them with much needed information and gives them the drive and belief to realise their potential to pursue their goals.
The government is now planning to create a new National Careers Service by April next year and schools will have a legal duty to offer careers advice to pupils. It is important that this happens and schools maintain this and don’t cut corners with costs. Face-to-face guidance and support is vital and this should be strongly and confidently delivered in order than teenagers get the best support they can.
I look forward to seeing schools pushing this initiative through with the courage and conviction that is required.View & Comment on this post - October 14th, 2011