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Secondary education

Anyone successful in media/business who can help me motivate and inspire some year 10 pupils? there's money in it!!

14 replies

Moomin · 30/06/2006 11:09

I'm currently writing a new course for Year 10 pupils called 'Learning to Learn'. The Govt have given money for initiatives in schools for this project and i've been given the job of getting the course together for my school. It's designed to help pupils recognise that the skills they learn in school should be transferable so that they feel more confident in applying for further/higher education/jobs that lead to careers. We're also aiming at increasing self-esteem, developing social skills and sharpening brain power.

In the area my school is in, we have one of the lowest percentage of school-leavers going on to college/uni in the whole of Birmingham; and the actual lowest percentage of women gaining any qualifications after school .

We are trying to motivate the pupils to aspire to life further than the 5 mile radius around school, whilst being reliastic about what they can achieve (e.g. gently trying to tell them that they're not the next Chantelle/Jordan/P Diddy, etc) but that college/uni is an option for 'kids like them'.

WE need a speaker or speakers for the beginning of Sept term to help us launch the course - and also some visiting speakers for the rest of the year. I think it would be great to have anyone who has started their own business and/or works in the media or law or ...anything really, especially women, to help inspire our girls too as well as the boys. You'd need to be fairly confident at speaking to young people, prepared to answer questions and talk honestly about yourself. We'd pay expenses and a fee and chuck dinner in too.
Anyone got any ideas or be interested themselves?

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Moomin · 30/06/2006 11:10

I've got to go out now but if anyone is interested or has questions etc i'll be back tonight. thanks in advance x

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edam · 30/06/2006 11:13

Oooh, I might be interested, Moomin. And my sister lives near Brum (Worcs) side so I could get over there (am in Herts). Can I CAT you? Am a freelance journalist so am running my own business and am ex-mag editor. I think it would be great to get more working-class kids (and I guess that's what you are talking about) into journalism, which is becoming far too middle-class.

My BIL is a drama teacher in a fairly challenging school in Brum, wonder if it is the same thing?

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rabbitrabbit · 30/06/2006 11:16

Moomin, have you thought about approaching some of the more popular magazines?
They have a high quota of young female staff in senior management (know this as have spent all working life in newspapers and magazines) and there would probably also be a bit of interest in having a speaker from Heat/Vogue/etc magazine talking to these kids?

hth

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Tortington · 30/06/2006 12:19

am not in media or busniess but went into HE after leaving school with no qualifications. - preggersat 16 - not a bag of laughs, no money. so went to college, then uni.

i think i was the epitomy of the statistic teen mother.

turned it round, got miself hedumicated. would be willing depending on day, and fee & expenses. if you want me creamycustardo at hotmail dot com ta

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dinosaure · 30/06/2006 12:20

Whereabouts, Moomin? I could probably find you a young female lawyer. I would do it myself but at 41 I'm probably a bit long in the tooth!

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Moomin · 30/06/2006 16:01

the school's in Rednal near Longbridge (big unemployment amongst local families with closure of Rover), so it's the worcs side of Brum (i'm in worcs myself). my email is rachaelc68(at)fsmail(dot)net

custardo - I will email my line manager to let her know you might be interested and see what she has to offer by way of payment etc. Might have to be Monday now but I definitely will be in touch. thanks

Edam your experiences are exactly what we need as well. sooo many of our ex pupils have babies straight away as it's the one thing they feel confident doing but then lack the support to do the education thing later on as you did. please email me

rabbitrabbit - excellent idea thank you
dinosaure - am sure you're not too old! law is another area they all think they could do but then have no idea how to go about getting into it.

this is all fab - thanks so much folks. would welcome any further ideas xx

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bluejelly · 30/06/2006 16:06

Hi I'm a radio journalist and passionate about getting more ethnic minority and working class people into journalism. It's far too elitest white and middle class.

My email address is littleprune at hotmail dot com

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dinosaure · 30/06/2006 16:09

I'll ask the pro bono person here whether she thinks there's any chance - there maybe someone who is originally from the Midlands who could perhaps do it.

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Marina · 30/06/2006 16:16

Can ask my sister, a BBC journalist, if she'd be willing moomin...
Also, ask the uni for details of locally-based alumni.

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Moomin · 30/06/2006 16:37

ooo thanks. we're already getting some uni bods in as they're very keen to recruit more kids from our area.

Thanks marina and bluejelly. as i said before i will get some info from my line manager and email you or posts with further details. I really appreciate your help on this one. thanks folks.x

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edam · 30/06/2006 17:11

Marina, you can CAT me, I'm set up to accept CATs. Think you got a bit confused between me and Custy there, Custy's the one who was a teenage mum and did qualifications later (although I got poor A-levels and dropped out before going back, does that count?)

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Moomin · 01/07/2006 08:54

ha ha yes sorry - and you got me confused with marina! so we're square now . h

ave heard from my line manager so will CAT you now with the details as i will with bluejelly and custardo. anyone who is interested please let me know via here or CAT as i'm now in a position to discuss details. Ta x

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Moomin · 01/07/2006 09:25

eeewwww haven't paid my fee to CAT yet Will do this later this morning when i find my purse!

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edam · 01/07/2006 09:44

Ooops

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