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90% of A Level Grades Rise after Retakes: Should You Consider Resitting?

If you think that your Level grades may not get you into your chosen university, you can go through a so-called “clearing”, which might allow you to enter a university with lower requirements for entry.

You can look for another university from your second and third options list. Your other choice is to resit some of your Level modules and retake A level exams.

Things to consider

retake-a-level-examYou should not make your final decision right away. First, check with the university you like to see if they can accept you or if you have extenuating circumstances. The university might have some requirements that will qualify you for acceptance.

For example, they may have an opening on a different course or allow you to enter their Foundation year, which will give you a firm A-Level base in the university setting.

If one module got a significantly lower grade than the rest, you could consider getting it remarked if you think you worked hard and performed well in the exam.

Should you retake your A Levels?

retaking-my-A-levelsIf resitting is the only option left for you, it is vital to study your A-Level results first. The common reason people want to retake A Levels is to get higher grades than the ones they got. But you should think about why you did not do well in some modules.

For example, you might have worked hard but still failed the exams or did not work hard enough because there were too many distractions.

However, if you know you worked hard but did not do well in some subjects, you may do the following:

  • Consider lowering your university sights and investigating applying to another university with lower entry grades.
  • If a particular subject does not work for you, investigate doing a crash course in another subject.
  • Consider applying for a degree that does not have particular entry requirements.
  • Consider a degree where your Level scores fit all the entry requirements.
  • Think about changing the course you want to take.

For example, if you want to take medicine but failed chemistry or biology at A Levels, resitting might not be an option. If you fail it at A Levels, you will still have difficulty keeping it up at university.

The goal in resitting for A Levels is to improve your score. Otherwise, it will only be a waste of money and time. However, if you are confident that you can do better, then resetting is a good option.

Choosing the subjects to retake

can-you-resit-A-levelsRetake only the subjects that you think will boost your overall grade significantly. It is vital to determine which subject/s pulled down your overall grade. Another thing you should consider is time.

Do you have enough time to revise your score? Do you think you can improve your grade?

Not all universities accept applicants with retakes at A Levels. Before you start your resit, call the university you want to enter and ensure they will accept you. Know their specific requirements to understand if a resit will help.

4 Top Tips To Help Your Child Boost Their School Grades

Grades are a good indicator of your child’s learning and abilities in the subjects they learn at school.

Children can often feel stressed and anxious about their grades, and this can impact their performance in class and on tests.

If your child’s grades have dropped, or you are struggling to get their grades up to meet the learning curve, here are some top tips that can help you out.

1. Take Away the Fear

help-child-improve-gradesWhen children are struggling at school, they often begin to feel overwhelmed by the pressure to perform from parents, teachers, and their grades. This can be counterproductive, as the added pressure can exasperate the problems they are having and negatively impact their grades.

Their school grades are important, but they are not more important than the health and mental wellbeing of your child. Talk to them about their grades and ease their fears. It helps if you learn more about their education and how they are graded.

This guide to average GPA and what it means in the American grading system, in case your child attends an international or US school for example, could be an invaluable resource to help you educate yourself and your child about their grades and how they can improve them.

Read this post if you want to learn more about the Scottish and English national curriculum and grading system.

2. Make Homework a Habit

ways-to-improve-your-child-gradesThe worst thing you can do for a child is to start doing their homework for them. Educating someone is difficult, especially if it is your own child. It can be far too tempting to give them the answer or make it too easy for them to solve the problem. Instead, help your child develop positive homework habits.

Make sure they have a suitable space in their home environment to do their homework and a scheduled time to do it. Homework needs to be a routine part of their evening. Remove the distraction of electronic devices like smartphones and tablets, unless they are going to be used to help them complete the work.

3. Review Their Homework with Them

how-to-help-your-child-succeedWhen your child is getting ready to sit down and do their homework, go through their tasks with them. This lets you know what they have to do, so you can make sure they finish their work, but also gives your child the opportunity to ask you questions that might help them understand things better.

If they are preparing for an exam or test, your experience of being in school can help them prepare. Though curriculums can change and evolve, getting ready for a test or pop quiz at school remains the same.

4. Work with their Teacher

help-child-improve-gradesYou are not the only person invested in your child’s future; their teacher is too. They may have similar concerns about your child’s grades or their performance on school tests. By contacting their teacher and having a few informal discussions, you should be able to create a plan of action for your child’s learning both at home and at school.

Teachers are always happy to improve the parent teacher communication and hear that the children in their class are being supported at home and are often eager to share tips and tricks to help your child develop their skills and knowledge.

Your child’s grades should improve with the above top tips and your support. It takes a little extra work and some discipline, but any child can begin to excel at school with help from their parents and teachers and a healthy mindset.

15 Best Holiday Activities For Children To Do Online

Holidays are the most awaited part of the year. For children.

Not you, of course, because you still must head to work.

And while you have little to no time on hand to keep your tiny tots engaged, their choruses of “I’m bored” keep growing stronger.

So here are 15+ ideas for holiday activities.

These include activities that:

  • Require little to no supervision (so you are free to complete that file before the deadline)
  • Are free (holidays don’t have to be heavy on your pocket)
  • Make your kids learn something new (so that they are smarter than before when the new school session starts.)
  • Can be done online and offline (so that you can keep the Internet addiction at bay while making sure your ward is engaged and entertained.)

Let’s get started now.

1. Educational Activities

Did you know that the human brain tends to forget the things that we learn within 2 to 3 days? That’s unless you keep practicing what you’ve learned.

So, if you don’t want your kids to become actual blank slates when the new session starts, here are a few educational holiday activities to keep them engaged.

These will not just ensure that kids remember what they have already learned, but also pick up new concepts.

Maths

Apparently, kids in the UK are the most anxious about mathematics as compared to students anywhere else in the world and you can discover more about education systems in different countries.

So, some of the following recommended numeric online activities during holidays would set a good base for the school year.

1. Math Land

MathLand
https://mathlandgame.com/

What good are holidays without some video game fun? Add maths to that and you’ve got for your kids a real mathematical adventure.

With Math Land, your kids can remember and practice the core concepts of maths they learned in school. And they can also learn new concepts and be the brightest of the lot in class.

Suitable for kids over 3 years of age, Math Land is also available on Nintendo Switch.

Get Math Land for Android.

Get Math Land for iPhone/iPad.

Get Math Land for Nintendo Switch.

2. SplashLearn

splashlearn
https://www.splashlearn.com/

For children in Pre-K till Grade-5, SplashLearn is a fun-centric learning app. The app also offers live tutoring classes, but that’s for when the school session starts. During holidays you can keep your kids entertained with their Maths games.

Want something to do offline? SplashLearn also has downloadable and printable Maths worksheets that you can use.

According to the official SplashLearn website, learners showed an 80% increase in confidence in just 4 weeks. So, join 40 million other learners and boost your child’s confidence and prepare them for school.

3. Moose Math

Duck-Duck-Moose
https://www.duckduckmoose.com/educational-iphone-itouch-apps-for-kids/moose-math/

If your kids love building and decorating things, Moose Math is the perfect game for them. By solving multi-level maths problems, kids get rewards that they can use to build their own city and decorate it.

It also offers a report card section which you can use to check your child’s progress.

Get Moose Math for Android

Get Moose Math for iPhone/iPad.

Get Moose Math for Amazon.

Check out some more top math learning apps if your kids can’t get enough.

Language

A survey suggested that 72% of Brits believe learning another language would be good for them. However, only 23% of people have been able to do that successfully.

Chances are by starting early, your kids can boost their language proficiency and learn a new language easily.

1. Vocab Victor

fun-activities-for-kids
https://vocabvictor.com/

Vocab Victor helps kids learn more words, relationships between words, proper usage, and more. And all of this is done through integrated games, which don’t make the learning task become boring.

If you aren’t a fan of your child spending so much time online, here’s what you can do.

Take inspiration from the app and create flashcards-based games for your kids to enjoy offline.

Get Vocab Victor for Android.

Get Vocab Victor for iPhone/iPad.

2. Gus on the go

best-free-online-activities-for-kids
https://www.gusonthego.com/

Imagine if classic stories which you and we have grown up hearing could help your kids learn a new language. Stories by Gus on the go make that possible.

With fun characters and timeless tales, the friendly owl Gus can teach your kids several languages. These include French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Hebrew, Greek, Hindi, and even vulnerable languages like Ingush.

Gus on the go also offers a free library of printables that you can use for some offline linguistic fun.

Find the apps (available in Spanish and French) for Android and iOS here.

3. DinoLingo

educational-activities-for-kids
https://dinolingo.com/

You must have heard of Duolingo, right? DinoLingo is a close cousin of that, with a dinosaur twist to make it more appealing for the young ones.

With DinoLingo, you can set your kids out on a linguistic adventure where they can learn while having fun. The app and website are 100% safe with parental controls as well.

And when you want to take the fun offline, you have the downloadable worksheets and flashcards available too.

Get DinoLingo for Android.

Get DinoLingo for iPhone/iPad.

Check out some more language learning apps for learning a new language here.

Science

Whether your kids are just naturally inquisitive or actually interested in the science stuff, online activities will make their holidays more memorable and fun.

1. Tinybop Universe

Tinybop
https://tinybop.com/

Tinybop is one of the leading names in creating STEM-based learning apps for kids as young as 4 years of age.

From learning about the human anatomy to exploring Mother Earth, and experimenting with the science of space, weather, and more, the Tinybop app and digital product universe is truly a fun learning space.

Explore all Tinybop games here.

2. Explorium

Explorium-Ocean-for-Kids-Free
https://explorium-ocean-for-kids-free.en.uptodown.com/android

For 5 to 7 and 7 to 11-year-old kids interested in the world of oceans, Explorium is a one-stop solution.

With the two brave characters, Alice and Alex, your child can explore the oceanic world while also playing mini-games that keep the fun intact.

Get Explorium for iPhone/iPad.

3. Curiosity Machine

online-activities-for-children
https://www.curiositymachine.org/

If you are looking for family-friend activities that will help build bonds as well as strengthen your child’s tech and problem-solving skills, consider having found an answer with Curiosity Machine.

You can take up design challenges, see what others have created, and engage with the thriving community too.

Bonus: If you and your child are really interested in coding, do check out these 5 best games for learning coding at home, as a family.

Fun & Creative Activities

Check out some fun holiday activities because all study and no play would make your kids dull.

1. Build themed playlists with Spotify Kids

spotify-kids
https://www.spotify.com/uk/kids/

While you love jamming to songs on Spotify, let your child also explore the world of music with Spotify Kids.

Available with Spotify Premium Family, the Spotify Kids app lets your ward find new tunes, listen to bedtime music and learn something new with audiobooks. All while, you have the parental controls in place.

Get Spotify Kids for Android.

Get Spotify Kids for iPhone/iPad.

2. Practice mindfulness with Mandala

Practice-mindfulness-with-Mandala
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.color.mandala&hl=en_GB&gl=US

Aimed at helping practitioners focus better, calm themselves, and practice mindfulness, mandalas are a set of geometrical patterns.

Whether it is drawing mandala art or coloring it, the process is extremely soothing. So, when you are tired of your kids running around the house, a mandala app can help them calm down. (Giving you some precious minutes of peace.)

You can either download free mandala coloring apps on the phone or also get mandala sheets printed for some hands-on mindfulness, find some highly rated free apps here in the “apps for arts” section.

Other than coloring, here are some other ways in which you can prepare your child for exams with mindfulness.

3. Practice digital journaling with Five Minute Journal

educational-activities-for-kids
https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/five-minute-journal-app

With just 5 minutes of screen time each day, with Five Minute Journal, you can get your kids –

  • Practice gratitude
  • Learn to journal
  • Capture important moments in life, and
  • Plan their days better.

Get Five Minute Journal for Android.

Get Five Minute Journal for iPhone/iPad.

4. Become Master Chefs with Toca Kitchen

activities-for-children
https://tocaboca.com/app/toca-kitchen/

No matter how interested your little MasterChef is in cooking, you cannot let them loose in the kitchen. But you can definitely help them practice and have some delicious fun with the Toca Kitchen app.

The app lets kids prepare meals for 4 hungry characters. Who knows your little one might create a recipe that you can replicate for them in the actual kitchen!

Get Toca Kitchen 2 for Android.

Get Toca Kitchen 2 for iPhone/iPad.

5. E-visit kid-friendly sections of world museums and galleries

museum-of-the-world-britishmuseum
https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/

Physically taking your kids to museums and galleries is the best way to help them learn new stuff. But if you can’t actually take them, let your phone take over. There are many museums and galleries (not just in the UK but all over the world) that are open to virtual visitors.

Here’s what a virtual navigation experience might look like (from British Museum). You navigate time, click on a bubble, interact with the artifact, and so on.

Find the museums of interest for your kids, and see them off for an e-visit.

6. Share family time with LEGO

fun-activities-for-kids
https://www.lego.com/en-us

LEGO has been the reason for countless hours of family fun forever. And even if your kids are too young to actually set up LEGO structures, the app can work wonders.

Introduce your kids to the world of LEGO digitally with any of the LEGO apps and games.

Say hello to happening Holidays today

With that, we hope you have enough ideas for online activities to keep your kids engaged during any holidays that approach faster than you think.

Whether you leverage the apps available online or create equally fun offline versions of the activities, learning and entertainment are guaranteed.

Just make sure you keep your kids safe online!

Here are some expert tips on ensuring e-security for kids that you should check out first.

Once you have ensured that, get ready, steady, and have fun!

How to Ensure a Safe and Healthy Home Environment for Children

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For young children, being in outdoors would be their preferred environment.

Sunlight, fresh air, and plants are all of nature’s gifts that children appreciate and a minimalist lifestyle can often incorporate such features. For children of grade-school age, recess in the outdoors is the time of day they look forward to eagerly.

The time they spend outdoors allows them to play and stay physically active, which is essential to keeping them healthier and happier.

However, your children will also spend a lot of time indoors, and it is vital to create a safe and healthy home environment to ensure that they are well and focused and protected from anything that can be harmful to them.

You may not be aware of it, but your home environment does not only impact the behavior and disposition of your child. It can also be dangerous to their physical and mental well-being.

A safe and healthy home environment ensures that your family’s overall well-being is never compromised, from the air they breathe to the food they eat. It must also be a place where they feel safest so that they can fully engage with home activities and family life.

So, here are a few expert tips to help you create that safe and comfortable home for your children.

1. Check your home’s indoor air quality

safe-home-environmentOften, we neglect to consider that the air inside our homes is stale and may contain germs and bacteria that contaminate our indoor air and are toxic to the family. The humidity factor also needs to be considered, which frequently occurs in most households. Because of poor indoor air quality, children can develop allergies and other respiratory problems.

You can address these issues and reduce dampness in the air by choosing dehumidifiers strategically placed in different areas of your home. It would also be helpful to use electric window openers linked to your humidity sensor so your windows automatically open and close, keeping your interior well-ventilated when it becomes too humid. This will reduce the risk of children and other family members getting sick.

2. Focus on home security and safety

child-safety-at-homeBurglaries, home invasions, and fires are no longer uncommon. Thus, it would be best to take security seriously and do whatever is necessary to keep your property and children safe. It is best to install deadbolts on doors and locks on windows and invest in a sound security system for protection.

If you have younger children, you should keep medicines and other dangerous chemicals away from reach. If you have firearms at home, keep them locked away. Window guards keep young children from falling off windows on higher floors. Never leave matches or lighters where kids can access them.

3. Keep lines of communication open

tips-for-healthy-home-environmentWhile children spend a lot of their time at school, your role as a parent is to ensure they are comfortable opening up to you. Many children and teenagers are afraid to approach their parents with problems, fearing being reprimanded or even ignored. Instead, they turn to their peers, who may not often give the best advice. More recently, social media have also become a go-to place for youngsters to seek advice or help, but with all the fake news published on such platforms, it is vital to ensure your child’s e-safety at all times here are some e-safety tips on how to do so.

It is your role to support and motivate your child. Teach them the value of education and provide the necessary tools and environment to inspire them to study.

You will discover what an impact little changes can have on children and communicating with them about what makes them feel good also helps to make your home an environment they truly feel safe and cherished.

SeekaHost returns to Insomnia Gaming Festival rewarding competitive Minecraft Gamers with Cash among 40,000 visitors

London, 31/08/2022

The Insomnia Gaming Festival returned to NEC Birmingham on 26-29 August with a showcase of the most notable gaming trends, challenges, and exciting new gaming products to emerge and many famous brands were involved.

insomnia-gaming-festival
Image source: https://insomniagamingfestival.com/
Since the last edition of IGF in April 2022 we’ve seen many fantastic exhibitors with very innovative and creative displays on offer for visitors,” comments Angela, one of the team of sales operations managers on site. “This year’s events have been vital for the industry as a chance to come together outside the virtual world and discover all the trends, opportunities, and products in the real world.”

Virtual reality and eGaming inspire the real world  

This year various exhibitors such as Royal Airforce esports and The Army Base Camp took advantage of bringing the virtual and the real world together at IGF by enabling visitors to experience simulations as well as physical experiences such as a climbing wall example.

UK Web Host and Game server hosting provider SeekaHost took on the challenge of bringing the extremely popular Minecraft game to the exhibition by offering a wide range of games and challenges for all age groups through the SeekaHost Minecraft Servers.

seekahost
@seekahost.co.uk

They offered quizzes and challenges that everyone could take part in by just using their smartphone and the QR code provided. However, they also offered free gaming on their SeekaHost Minecraft servers and tournaments for the real Minecraft gaming geeks to win a cash prize of £50.

blogging-heros
@seekahost.co.uk

Showcasing high-end eGaming solutions 

Because Minecraft is an online game that attracts young and old, SeekaHost offered free Minecraft gaming on their Minecraft servers at the IGF on a first come first serve basis, which proved extremely popular as many visitors waited patiently for their turn.

celebration-of-gaming
@seekahost.co.uk

While they waited, many also took part in the quizzes to win a SeekaHost USB stick or Minecraft tournaments with races, parkours for 1v1 action to win cash prizes on the SeekaHost stage.

Celebrating early excellence 

The SeekaHost team, which closely works with the marketing team at ClickDo, celebrated the very young eGaming and Minecraft talents represented at the IGF as they braved the challenges confidently via their social media channels.

Parents and children alike were extremely happy to walk away with a prize as everyone was rewarded for simply giving the challenges a go, so everyone was a winner.

SeekaHost and ClickDo CEO Fernando Raymond, who also attended the festival, commented:

“It’s been lovely to see so many young players join our Minecraft servers here and take on our challenges to win. We can see great talent emerging and want to encourage them to play confidently, eventually even building their own Minecraft servers. We provide a lot of guidance via our seekahost.co blog so that every gamer can grow their own online presence also with a blog or website managed with our easy-to-use SeekaPanel.”

 

It is fair to say that the event was a big success for gaming enthusiasts and businesses alike, uniting them all in the wonderful world of gaming.

You can watch the highlights of the IGF with seekahost.co hosting Minecraft server games and competitions here: 

About Insomnia Gaming Festival

Founded in 1999, the Insomnia Gaming Festival originated as the i-Series; a small LAN (Local Area Network) event where gamers could come together and play together as part of one community. Today, IGF welcomes 40,000 visitors to Insomnia and the LAN parties have grown to the biggest in the UK, seeing 2,800 gamers in one space for a weekend of non-stop, 24-hour gaming.

About SeekaHost: a web hosting provider with a difference

Offering web hosting services since 2000 this company has grown and expanded over the last five years under the management of SEO agency ClickDo, providing a wider variety of web hosting services like SEO hosting, and PBN hosting, before being registered as a limited company. It now is an established web host offering services all over the world and innovating new hosting solutions. 

Manuela Willbold, PR strategist, ClickDo and SeekaHost, manuela@seekahost.co.uk

-ENDS-

Find more information about games and apps here: Free Online Games: Best Games Online You Can Play At Home | UK Education Blog (clickdo.co.uk).

iSpring Suite 11 – Boost Learning Experiences with a Brand-New Authoring Toolkit

Alexandria, VA — September 1, 2022 — iSpring Solutions Inc., a world-renowned vendor of eLearning software and services, announced the release of its brand-new iSpring Suite 11. It will let content creators design even more impactful eLearning with new customization features, hand-drawn characters and locations, player speed options, and an industry-leading user interface.

iSpring Suite is an all-in-one authoring toolkit that lets users design pro-looking eLearning content — interactive courses, quizzes, video tutorials, role-plays, SCORM-compliant e-books, and interactions, fast with no tech skills or IT background required. It also comes with an extensive library of assets and templates and an online space where users can store content, work on it with their team, and share it with stakeholders for review and approval.

boost-learning-experienceThis tool is fully compatible with iSpring Learn LMS, an online training platform that goes beyond standard training delivery and helps companies transform their business. Content created with iSpring Suite can also be easily exported to over 150 of the most popular LMSs, where it will display perfectly and provide training statistics.

The new iSpring Suite 11 has a modern, extremely intuitive interface and additional features that let users create more personalized learning experiences and allow learners to study at their own pace:

New customization features. Instructional designers can create courses in keeping with the brand identity, set the colors and gradients of the player, round off buttons, and use downloaded fonts. They can now use one of the five new course player templates and create their own presets once and then simply select this preset instead of building new courses from scratch.

The new look of interactive role-plays. iSpring Suite 11’s role-plays have a new look and animations. Learners’ replies don’t disappear as before but move up the screen. This allows learners to track the progression of their training scenario better – how the answer options they’ve selected affect the dialogue.

Hand-drawn characters. Unlike previous versions, iSpring Suite 11 lets educators create role-plays with hand-drawn characters and locations designed by iSpring professionals. There are 5 ready-made characters with multiple images of their emotions, and more are on the way.

Player speed options. iSpring Suite 11 introduces a new feature based on user requests that let learners select the course playback speed. There are now 5 playback speed options, from 0.75 to 2x. Course developers are able to decide whether to enable this option for their learners.

Michael Keller, eLearning Officer at iSpring, says:

“iSpring Suite 11 focuses on the most essential aspect of online learning – the learning experience. With this new version, course creators have endless options to customize how their content looks and is displayed. Freelance instructional designers can create unique presets for each of their clients. L&D specialists can design training programs in keeping with their brand identity. Teachers can incorporate hand-drawn characters to engage their students and explain new topics in a more exciting way. Everyone will be able to create even more impactful eLearning with Suite 11!”

Pricing and Availability

iSpring Suite 11 is available in 9 languages, and the course player window comes in 13 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese. It can be downloaded at the iSpring Solutions website and used with a fully functional trial for 14 days. The current price of the eLearning tool is $770/year for a basic plan and $970/year for an advanced plan.

This release also introduces a new unique pricing plan for freelancers, in addition to special prices for academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Detailed pricing can be found at: www.ispring.com/pricing.

About iSpring Solutions

iSpring is a global leader in creating award-winning software for eLearning. It released iSpring Presenter, its first eLearning tool, back in 2001 and has designed multiply advanced, yet easy-to-use, solutions for eLearning professionals ever since.

For over 20 years, iSpring has developed more than 10 stand-alone eLearning tools, such as iSpring QuizMaker, iSpring Converter Pro, and iSpring Cam Pro. These tools are highly popular among eLearning professionals both separately and together – in iSpring Suite, an all-in-one authoring tool. The release of iSpring Learn, a cloud-based LMS, in 2014 enabled companies to power their online learning with iSpring’s solutions alone. The vendor constantly updates its products to stay one step ahead of the game and introduces new features based on user requests.

iSpring is recognized for its beautifully engineered products and exceptional customer service. More than 59,000 customers in over 170 countries choose iSpring for its high performance and reliability. The customer list includes thousands of freelance instructional designers and teachers, almost 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and educational institutions worldwide, some clients being Microsoft, SAP, Boeing, Dell, Adidas, Procter & Gamble, University of California at Berkeley, Harvard University, and Stanford University. For more information, visit the official website: https://ispri.ng/lBL1l.

-ENDS-

Find more information about eLearning and EdTech here: ed tech | UK Education Blog (clickdo.co.uk)

MEIF Investment Promotes Exponential Growth for Education Recruitment Service The Supply Register

Investment has resulted in office expansion across the UK, doubling employee numbers and achieving a 500% growth in annual client value.

Through the MEIF investment, The Supply Register (TSR) has experienced exponential growth, by:

  • Expanding its team at its Stoke head office and sites across the UK
  • Doubling employee numbers
  • Growing their annual value of clients by 500%
  • Tripling the number of days filled in the last two years

Baljinder Kuller, Founder & Managing Director of The Supply Register Ltd. commented:

“Midven has been supportive throughout the investment process and is always available. Our partnership adds a great deal of value to realising the businesses’ growth strategy. I have the independence to run the business, but Midven invests time, effort, and resources to achieve the business goals and objectives, to ensure I maintain the growth trajectory. The professional and supportive expertise given is invaluable as well as the numerous introductions to useful contacts and connections. There are also follow-on investment opportunities if expectations are met which offers us an opportunity to continue our growth.”

Investment and Midven’s involvement

TSR has received two rounds of investment through Midven. The investments have improved talent acquisition by enabling the company to employ higher-skilled individuals and affording the development of existing hires. In addition, the company has updated and implemented new branding which has increased brand awareness by improving visibility and positioning in the industry. This helped TSR to expand its customer base and enabled them to boost efforts in supporting schools post-pandemic.

Midven’s Giovanni Finocchio acts as a sounding board on business development and strategy. He also ensures that TSR follows its investment trajectory, providing structure to business objectives and offering accountability throughout the process. Through the investment partnership with Midven, TSR has also been introduced to useful connections and access to vital associations that positively impact the business and better enable them to achieve their growth strategy.

Converting TSR from prospect to investment

After having submitted an unsuccessful application, Kuller attended Midven’s Investment Readiness Workshop. Applying his learnings, he presented a winning business plan that clearly defined the objectives and motivated the investment.

Pairing Baljinder Kuller’s 13 years of industry experience, his drive, and a credible business plan made a new application a success. His knowledge and understanding of the education sector, as well as identifying opportunities for growth, built confidence with Midven. This positioned TSR as a business that would develop in a sector that is stable and has investment potential.

Who is The Supply Register?

TSR was established in 2016 by Baljinder Kuller to provide educational recruitment services. TSR recognised the shift in provision from local authority staff banks to supply cover being met by traditional private sector recruitment agencies. TSR, therefore, entered the market with a disruptive, online end-to-end platform.

In real-time, the platform directly connects schools looking for supply provision with educational professionals and agencies offering the most cost-effective cover. TSR enables schools to build their own staff talent banks, paying successful candidates a higher market rate, while reducing the recruitment cost by up to 25%.

You can find out more at https://midven.co.uk/company/the-supply-register/.

How to Make Your Business Stand Out During Freshers’ Week

The next academic year is fast approaching, and if you’re hoping to get some positive exposure for your business, the influx of new students and organised events during freshers’ week can be an excellent opportunity.

So, whether you own a café, bar, clothing brand, or anything in between, bespoke print wear providers Custom Planet share their top tips on getting your business to stand out from the crowd this September.

Attend student events

During freshers’ week, most students have just arrived in a completely new city, or even a new country if they are on an international study programme. They are therefore open to exploring what their bustling, exciting local area has to offer and will be looking for places to eat, socialise, and meet new people. Especially if your business is based in a major university city, this is therefore a brilliant time to engage and attract a whole new demographic of customers and gain some positive exposure.

Universities organise freshers’ fairs and welcome days to greet their new arrivals, so securing a stall at one of these events is an important step to ensuring you engage with students. Often, organisers tend to look for local vendors to celebrate the area, a range of different career stalls, and when it comes to food and drink, a diverse range of world cuisines.

If you’re interested in exhibiting, be sure to research what the university’s requirements are, how many spots are available, and which businesses they tend to admit. This way, when you pitch your company, you can make a strong case as to why you would be a perfect fit for their freshers’ week events.

Create a professional, attractive stall

Once you’ve secured your place at a student event, your next priority should be creating an eye-catching, vibrant stall that still looks professional. Since your aim is to gain better exposure for your business, it’s important to use clear, cohesive branding across your signage, clothing, flyers, and any other merchandise you hand out. As well as making sure your name and logo are displayed clearly, keeping a coherent colour scheme and design will help to make your brand more memorable and recognisable.

Firstly, one of the most important things is having large, colourful signs that instantly convey who you are and what you do. Freshers’ fairs are busy and packed with different vendors and employers, so using things like banners or free-standing feather flags that add some height can help you stand out from the crowd — quite literally! Secondly, it’s wise to kit out the staff running your freshers’ fair stall with branded clothing that clearly conveys your company insignia and name, complete with your brand colours. These details are a worthwhile investment as they help you look like a well-organised, professional team that’s passionate about the brand they’re representing.

Having a quick interactive activity at your stall can also be a great way to attract passing students and get them engaged without a complicated task or pitch. Having plenty of high-quality merchandise like pens, tote bags, travel mugs, and t-shirts to hand means you can also give out free, useful products across campus that will get your name and logo out there and help students remember you.

Offer free samples and discounts

Students are always on a budget, yet still want to explore the culture, food, and social life of the city they’ll be living and studying in. One of the best ways to attract people to your stall and get your brand recognised is therefore the tried and tested method: offering free samples!

If you own a food or drinks business, then letting curious customers get a taste of what you have to offer will introduce them to your delicious menu. Not only this, but when people are at your stall enjoying the food, you have a great opportunity to network with them and create a positive, friendly experience they’re more likely to remember. This means it’s also wise to send your most outgoing, customer-facing reps to run your company stall so that they can help to get as much engagement as possible with students.

Capitalise on good exposure

Most importantly, don’t let the exposure and engagement stop at the freshers’ fair: once you’ve piqued the interest of potential customers, be sure to keep the momentum going and really make the most of it. Hand out flyers to advertise any student nights or discounts you have planned, whether that be during freshers’ week or throughout the whole academic year.

While being active on social media and updating your website are important ways to gain exposure and brand recognition, it’s equally crucial to follow these things through with in-person events that create a welcoming, exciting buzz around your business. Arranging several events closely following freshers’ week can also help you get the word out about your business and capitalise on any interest you gained at student events.

Andrew Dark, Director, and Co-owner of Custom Planet comments:

“Especially if your business is based in a popular university city, freshers’ week can be an excellent opportunity to gain exposure and recognition for your brand. By making the most of student welcome days, freshers’ fairs, and other events, you can open your business up to a whole new demographic it may have been missing. Clear, modern, and coherent branding is crucial when competing for attention at events, as well as setting up an attractive, welcoming stall for your café, restaurant, bar, or whatever your business may be.

“Tried and tested methods like giving out free samples or branded merchandise are always effective, and it’s even better if you can get creative with what you offer at student events. Opting for merchandise and a networking approach that aligns with or emphasises your brand ethos — such as championing sustainability or planning fun, inclusive social events — can really help to set your business apart from the rest.”

About the brand

Custom Planet are one of the UK’s leading print wear providers. Founded by Andrew Dark and John Armstrong, they’ve been providing the highest quality custom clothing and promotional products for brands since 2008. They offer a wide variety of custom products, including sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, stationery, and backpacks, to name just a few. The team take pride in their outstanding customer service and has worked with high-profile UK brands and institutions, including Proctor and Gamble, Marriott Hotels, and Newcastle University.

For more information, visit https://www.customplanet.co.uk/

Not-so-fresh air: almost three in four UK classrooms have ‘below standard’ air quality

90% of teachers agree that poor air quality impacts lung and mental health – and over half said it affects grades and academic performance.

Almost three in four (72%) classrooms suffer from air quality that is ‘below standard’, according to a new survey asking teachers across the UK about their school’s working conditions. Nearly three in five teachers (59%) deemed a classroom with poor air quality to be ‘not fit for purpose’ – for either teachers or pupils.

Three-quarters (77%) of teachers noticed that substandard air quality caused concentration problems in students, while 53% said performance or grades suffered.

The Air Quality in UK Classrooms Report – conducted by experts in air movement and ventilation solutions Airflow – asked teachers at 133 schools across the UK for their insights into working and learning conditions at UK schools.

The report found that conditions impacted student health, with three in five (61%) teachers believing classroom air quality is aggravating asthma and other lung conditions in pupils. Ill-effects on health were 55% more likely in cities, where both industrial and road pollution are more prevalent.

This comes in a summer where the UK saw record high temperatures, exacerbating pollution and its effects. Reports from scientists at the EU Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service have warned of spikes in unhealthy levels of pollution around Europe*, which are likely to become more common each year. Increased pollution can irritate and inflame the lungs.

Read the full survey findings here:

https://www.airflow.com/about-us/blog/article?article_id=32&article_desc=The-Air-Quality-in-UK-Classrooms-Report

How are teachers being affected?

Almost two-thirds (63%) of all teachers surveyed said poor air quality is affecting teachers’ physical and mental health. While 31% of those at schools with ‘below standard’ air quality reported that despite requesting improvements, no action has been taken.

However, more than a quarter (27%) said their school is trying to improve air quality, but cannot due to a lack of funding or government support.

What improvements do teachers want to see?

Faced with sub-standard air quality, teachers identified the changes they want schools to make:

  • Replace old heating appliances (which can contribute to indoor air pollution) – 72%
  • Install air filtration or purification systems – 71%
  • Ban cars on streets with schools during school run times – 38%
  • Relocate playgrounds and classroom windows away from roads – 32%

With pupils currently on their summer holidays, now is the time for schools to make changes such as these.

Alan Siggins Managing Director of Airflow Developments Ltd said:

“We commissioned this survey to raise awareness of the problems poor air quality creates and how it impacts the classroom. Improving air quality is our area of expertise and we know the solutions available to overcome these problems.

“However, what we didn’t know and what this survey has highlighted is how bad the situation is and how it affects teachers and students. It’s clear that funding solutions need to be found quickly and there must be support from the upper reaches of government for that to happen. Investment in modern ventilation systems is a must for the health of the future generation: we’ve seen first-hand the stark difference good air quality can have.

“To gain this investment, grassroots pressure is required to focus the government and local councils on the issue. Schools, teachers, and even parents can raise the issue at PTA meetings or with local councilors to start turning the screw.

“The recent resurgence in Covid cases makes action on air quality even more pressing. Nobody wants a situation where children and teachers are returning to classrooms that facilitates the transmission of the virus. If measures are put into place, the health of both students and teachers can only benefit.”

Mrs. X, who works at a London primary school but did not want to be named for job security reasons, says:

“Returning to school after the pandemic, all schools were advised to keep windows open to improve air quality. However, in winter, the classrooms would obviously get very cold. Children would be distracted and this impacted learning.

“Even with windows open, pollution around the school area means that air quality is not drastically improved. We know that poor air quality and ventilation lead to higher levels of CO2 in the classroom, which affects cognitive performance (reduces memory, impairs concentration, lowers decision-making abilities) and inhibits learning.

“In addition, children who struggle with self-regulation find it particularly hard to be in poorly-ventilated environments and may demonstrate disruptive behaviour, leading to them being sent out of the classroom, meaning they are not learning from their teacher.

Nicola D’Urso, School Speech, and Language Therapist says:

“Some schools I work in have indoor areas which are poorly ventilated without any windows. I’ve seen examples of children fainting and disengaging due to dehydration in excessively hot and stuffy classrooms. It’s not uncommon for children to become drowsy and even the brightest students can stop interacting in lessons. I notice caring and responsible teachers often have to prioritize children’s health and wellbeing during lessons instead of teaching them the educational content.

“The main obstacle is that senior leadership teams in schools are at the mercy of their local council’s policy on clean air and limiting air pollution. The roadblock for schools is that it’s a bit out of their hands given that it’s up to the council and the government to get a grasp of air pollution and put adequate policies in place.”

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Recruiter Donation Aims To ‘Develop’ The STEM Careers Of Local School Children

London-based recruitment firm donates £5,500 to local primary schools, as the first installment of a year-long partnership.

Investment in STEM-focused learning platforms aims to plug the talent shortage in tech.

LONDON, August 2022: A leading contributor to the software engineering sector has donated more than £5,000 to a London primary school in a bid to support the STEM education of local children.

Recruiter develop, which helps some of Europe’s most innovative businesses, such as McLaren, Foxtons, and Capita, scale their software engineering teams, partnered with Canon Barnett Primary School in April in light of evidence that only 17 percent of primary school children aspire to a career in science. A pledge of £25 for every placement made in develop’s 2022/23 financial year has already prompted a donation of £5,500, following a highly successful Q1 for the business.

Aiming to bridge the socioeconomic and gender gaps faced by the children of Tower Hamlets, develop will offer its expertise in the sector to advise the school on the best way of investing the money in STEM-focused learning platforms, equipment, and toys that will directly impact the prospects of the pupils. Coding robots, pocket-sized coding computers, programmable accessories, and activity sets will give these young children an early insight into the beginnings of coding, the more complex realms of AI, and more.

develop’s Consultants will also be visiting the students at Canon Barnett to talk about what makes software engineering so exciting, and what opportunities will be available to them in the future. The aim is to help fuel future talent pipelines and lessen the talent shortages that are hindering the growth of the UK’s STEM industries.

Sarah Bellerby, Head Teacher at Canon Barnett, said:

“The importance of this partnership cannot be underestimated as a means of promoting a more modern curriculum and encouraging our students to explore subjects that might have previously seemed inaccessible. These children hold the key to the successes of innovative industries, and it is extremely progressive to develop to start them out on the journey of understanding that careers in technology are within their reach.”

Kevin Hammond, CEO of develop, commented:

“We’re excited about the positive impact that our donation to Canon Barnett will have to the teachers, pupils, and their families. Working with tech companies every day, we see the lack of diverse representation in the sector, even though STEM jobs are projected to grow by ten percent in the next five to ten years and those in software development at an even more astonishing rate. Giving children early access to educational tools like coding robots and educating young people on the opportunities available is key to averting a crisis in years to come.”

Joey Tait, Managing Director of develop, added:

“When we met the Canon Barnett students at the beginning of the partnership, we were amazed by their enthusiasm to learn more about computers, software, and other technologies. With the help of our partners, we will continue to present and educate these young people on the breadth of careers available in software engineering and what these roles involve. If we can inspire them to consider careers previously unknown to them, the partnership will have been a success.”
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