The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing A School Minibus

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March 6, 2023

School minibuses are an important part of modern school life.

Whether you are taking children on a once-in-a-school-year trip to a museum or medieval castle, or a regular weekly journey to a swimming pool, the school minibus is a vital part of the journey.

Choosing the right one for your school and your school children can be difficult, but this guide should help you whittle down your choices and find the best bus for your school.

Lease, Hire, Or Buy?

There are a few different ways to finance a school minibus, and you need to work out which will be the best for you and your school. If you rarely use a vehicle, hiring one may be a better solution for ad-hoc travel plans. If you have a school minibus in your fleet, however, you a much more likely to find new uses for one that can often help add to your curriculum or service a school sports team.

Minibuses are a great asset for schools, and leasing one is probably the most cost-effective solution. You can lease a school minibus from The Minibus Centre and get behind the wheel of a modern minibus that has all the features you need to make school trips simple and safe. Their management team will help you find a minibus that suits your school, and a financial arrangement that suits your needs.

Reliability Is Key

Whichever model of school minibus you choose it needs to be reliable. A breakdown on a motorway or in a car park can be a stressful experience, but it is even more stressful with a classroom full of kids on board. Minibuses are a lot like cars, older ones are more likely to have reliability problems. Modern minibuses are much more reliable, and their engines will have fewer issues and cheaper maintenance costs. Spending a little more on a newer vehicle will save your school money in the long run.

Find a minibus that is from a recognisable manufacturer. This will help ensure that it is more reliable and that any parts it ever needs for repairs will be readily available. If the vehicle ever needs to spend time off the road for repairs you do not want to be waiting a long time for a part to become available. This would have a massive negative impact on your regular school trips.

Safety Features

The most important features of a school minibus are the safety features. These features help to protect the children during a journey, and you and your school have a duty of care to uphold. Seatbelts for every child are an obvious safety feature, and every minibus should have a seatbelt for every seat. If your minibus requires a special seating configuration, make sure this will not affect the availability of seatbelts.

There are some other features you should look out for when choosing a school minibus that will make life easier too. Reversing cameras can be a big help when finding a parking space, and can help your driver avoid small knocks. This simple addition can cut down on the cost of repairs, as well as help keep the children and the vehicle safe. Other features to consider are wipeable, easy clean seats and accessibility options for wheelchair users or less-abled children.

Seats For Everyone

Seating on a school minibus is very important. There needs to be a full seat with a seatbelt for every child, and the adults that are along for the ride. If you have students that are wheelchair users or have mobility problems, you need to ensure there is a space for them too. That space may need to have mounting points for a wheelchair to be secured to the vehicle during a journey.

The seating available for adults on the journey can be an important feature that goes overlooked. Having a rear-facing seat at the front of the vehicle is a handy feature that can give a teacher or parent an added level of control over the passenger cabin. The children have a pair of eyes supervising them throughout the journey, which helps keep them calm and lets an adult keep a watchful eye on things. Look out for this feature or consider adding it if you can.

Decoration And Signage

School minibuses should be fun as well as functional. The sides of the minibus are an opportunity for your school to show off some style. Decorations and signage can be a fun way to make your minibus your own, and make it easier to identify in a car park. You could turn the decoration of your minibus into a school competition. Asks classes or individual students to come up with a design for your school minibus and the winning design gets used on the bus.

How you can decorate your vehicle will depend on your financial arrangement. You will not be able to make any changes to a hired minibus, but if you own or lease your school minibus you should be allowed to add some customisations to help your vehicle stand out a little. Avoid paint if possible. A lot can be achieved with plastic wraps and adhesive signs. This makes it easier to remove the detailing later so you can return the minibus to your leasing agent or sell it to a new buyer without the signage.

Licencing And Insurance

Many people can drive a school minibus with a standard UK driving licence. Make sure you fully investigate your driving licence before getting behind the wheel, as not all UK driving licences will allow the holder to drive a minibus over a certain size or weight. The age of your licence is an important factor. If you passed your driving test before the 1st of January 1997, you should be able to drive a minibus as these licences automatically include category D1 vehicles. You can only drive them voluntarily, however. You cannot drive them if you are specifically paid to do so.

Insuring a school minibus is a lot like insuring a private vehicle. You can search for a range of quotes using online tools and find the right balance between coverage and cost for you and your school. Insuring a school minibus is a little bit more expensive than insuring a private car, so be prepared for a jump in price from what you are used to. Most policies will insure any licenced driver drives the minibus but always check the details carefully before someone new gets behind the wheel. It is worth paying a little more to insure the vehicle with a reputable insurer that you can trust so that if there is a claim it can be settled quickly and you can get your minibus back on the road without too much disruption.

Final Thoughts

Remember this guide when you are searching for a school bus. Not all of them are the same. If you take your time and make a shortlist of must-have features, the deciding factor will be the cost. Investigate the different benefits of leasing or buying, and make sure you get some insurance quotes before committing to a vehicle.

5 Tips To Stay Ahead in Your Teaching Career

By

Manuela Willbold

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January 31, 2023

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After landing your first role in teaching, you might think it’s time to settle down, take it easy and enjoy your new role. Whilst this is still true in some respect, it’s important to keep moving forward, and progressing in teaching can lead to a long and rewarding career.

Learning new skills, getting leadership experience, and taking on extra responsibility will accelerate your professional development and help you stand out from the crowd.

Gaining extra experience, building strong, long-lasting relationships with your peers, and staying up to date with current teaching trends are all key ways you can take your career further.

It’s important that you recognise the potential opportunities for growth and make the most of them when they come around.

1. Nothing Beats Experience

As with any job, there is no substitute for experience. Knowledge of the real working role will change the way you react and deal with things and shape you as a teacher. It helps you develop and nurture the key skills needed to succeed and gives you a crucial understanding of the role and its requirements.

Experience is key for individuals starting their career, but also for those who are further down the line. To progress, you must consistently broaden your skill set and keep up to date with new ways of working. Having relevant experience is also key if you plan to change roles or specialise in a chosen area.

2. Build Relationships

Education is a relationship-based profession. Everything you do involves the building, maintenance, and development of relationships, from students to other professionals. They permeate throughout a school and those who progress successfully are often those who learn to develop, cultivate, and utilize those relationships in positive and powerful ways.

Nurturing professional relationships is a great way to learn from your peers and expand your skill set. Align yourself with key staff within the school and watch and learn from their approach to teaching. This can also open other opportunities that can help to take your career to the next level.

3. Partner With a Specialist Recruitment Agency

Working with a recruitment agency will help save time and put you ahead of the pack in an often highly competitive industry. They will use their skills and extensive networks to find the perfect role for you with the requirements you are looking for. Their knowledge is invaluable, and they offer fantastic support throughout your job search, from tailoring your CV to helping you showcase any nonprofessional experience.

Recruitment agencies such as LTF Recruitment are perfect for finding your first job as a newly qualified teacher (ECT), or as an experienced professional. They have various roles available for individuals looking to progress their careers in education, as well as a careers hub that features free and paid courses to help you stand out from the crowd.

Working alongside a recruitment agency that specialises in education roles will mean you can take advantage of the relationships they have already forged with schools in your area.

4. Stay Ahead of The Curve

The education sector never sits still and there are always changes being made. Whether it’s new ways to teach, advances in technology, new syllabuses, or something else, you should always be on the front foot and up to date with any changes. Those who can adapt rapidly and are super organised are always more likely to progress further and faster.

Consume online industry-related content, continue with courses, build strong relationships with other teachers, and attend industry events and talks to keep your knowledge fresh.

5. Be Patient and Focused

Your skills and experience are both integral to your career progression, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Your personality, determination, and work rate will all impact the level you reach and how quickly. Work hard, stay focused and develop your skills and you will achieve your teaching career goals. Remember, your natural characteristics and personality will often open doors in your career when your skill sets are equally matched.

Getting to where you want to be in your career will take time. Focus on where you want to go and have a clear plan of how you want to get there, but be flexible enough to recognise other opportunities that might appear.

5 Ways For Online Educators To Keep Online Students Focused

By

Manuela Willbold

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January 31, 2023

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If you’re an educator who teaches online, one of the biggest issues you must deal with is a lack of focus from your students.

Because you’re not all in one room together, it can be hard to hold their attention. Not only that but there are always going to be more distractions at home than there would be in a traditional classroom.

Although it might sometimes feel like an uphill battle, there are some good measures you can put in place that will help your class concentrate better when you’re all working online.

1. Schedule In Plenty Of Breaks

One of the reasons why adults and children – it doesn’t matter who you are teaching – will become distracted is tiredness. If they just keep working for hours on end, they’ll become exhausted, they’ll lose focus, and they won’t retain as much information.

Because of this, when you’re planning your lessons, you need to make sure you schedule plenty of breaks. If you include a five-minute break every half an hour, your students will stay much more focused, and they’ll get a lot more out of the lesson. You’ll feel as though you’re making more headway as well.

These breaks should ideally be spent away from the screen, and in a perfect world they’ll go outside, but any kind of break is a good start.

2. Be Consistent

If you are tasked with teaching a class online, you need to be consistent. You need to get there on time so you’re ready to teach, you need to have a good lesson play, ideally with a starter to get people’s minds working, and you’ll need to work to a set routine.

Starting late, having a bad Wi-Fi connection, changing the routine randomly, and so on will be distracting, and it will mean that the students can’t concentrate. This might even be a subconscious feeling, but the result will be the same. Do whatever you can to stick to be as consistent as possible.

Even if you move offices, you’ll need to work out a way to stay on task, such as using IT relocation services so your students don’t have to be disrupted.

3. Remind Students To Eat And Drink

This might sound strange, but reminding your students to eat healthy, energy-giving snacks and drink plenty of water throughout the day can make a big difference. It’s easy to forget to do these things or put them off until later when you’re busy with school or college work.

However, if you don’t properly nourish your body, you’ll become fatigued, unfocused, and irritable. Dehydration will cause headaches, and hunger will cause stomach aches. None of this is conducive to good work and good concentration.

You can remind your students to eat and drink when you send them for a break, for example. Or you can have a flask of water on your desk – when they see you sipping from it, it will remind them to do the same. No matter what you do, properly refreshed and hydrated students will be able to focus on what you’re teaching them much better than those who are hungry and thirsty, so encourage a safe and healthy learning environment even remotely.

4. Speak To Them About Devices

Your students wouldn’t have their phones or tablets with them in a traditional classroom (or at the very least, they wouldn’t be constantly looking at them – or looking at them at all), so you could make it a rule that they shouldn’t look at their devices while they are in class with you. Although they might think they can quickly check Instagram or TikTok, if they are in class, they’re meant to be listening to what you’re saying or carrying out work you’ve asked them to do.

Another issue that isn’t present in the classroom is the device they’re using to see and hear their lesson. Whether it’s a laptop, tablet, or phone, they need it to engage in their lessons, but it could mean it’s tempting to look at social media, for example.

At some point, you need to trust that this won’t happen, but keep reiterating the rule every day to ensure everyone understands that it’s in place because of their best interests.

5. Have One To Ones

It can be hard to teach online because of a more distant kind of interaction with your students. Because of this, you might not notice if someone is distracted or seemingly worried about something.

This is why it’s crucial to schedule one-to-ones with your students. When you do this, you can ask them about anything that might be worrying them and find out what it is that is causing them to be distracted.

Once you know, you can help them focus more and ensure you take their concerns into account. This will help keep them engaged throughout the mobile learning time and they will also build a stronger relationship with you.

Global Schooling: What’s an International Approach to Education?

By

Manuela Willbold

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January 26, 2023

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We can’t talk about the modern education system without mentioning the lockdowns that occurred during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

In the post-pandemic world, we know the limitations of traditional schooling better than ever before.

We know that there are only so many hours in a single day, and one physical classroom can’t accommodate the educational needs of all students.

That’s why we’re starting to see the emergence of a new concept: global schooling.

Limitations of Traditional Schooling

The world is becoming globalized. And the traditional approach to schooling is becoming increasingly inadequate to meet the needs of students around the world.

According to a survey of over 3,000 people conducted by Tyton Partners, 6 out of 10 parents believe that educational preferences have changed post-pandemic. The need for more control, flexibility and personalization in the learning experience is becoming increasingly apparent by the day.

Some of the things the traditional schooling system is lacking include:

Consistency: We’ve seen how easily the traditional school system can fall apart. We don’t know when another world-changing event will happen. Researchers agree that even short interruptions in learning can lead to long-lasting negative effects on the educational, social, as well as emotional well-being of children.
Individualization: The lack of individualization in the school system isn’t anything new. As a matter of fact, the problem has been discussed since the 1970s. With the need for customized study plans, the traditional schooling system is unable to meet the needs of each student.
Diversity: Learning about different countries, histories, and cultures have been a problem for quite a while. With classrooms filled with students of different backgrounds, it’s obvious that the traditional system lacks the diversity needed in the modern world.

Now, when we say that the school system lacks diversity, we’re not talking about the students. The classrooms are more diverse than ever.

Rather, we’re talking about the fact that students often don’t have the opportunity to learn about the world beyond the one that surrounds them.

What’s Global Schooling?

In the past, families looking for study and work opportunities had to move abroad to find them. Research before the pandemic showed that there were more than 10,000 international schools around the globe, with nearly 5.4 million students enrolled.

However, international education nowadays is much more attainable. The lockdowns not only showed that eLearning is feasible and effective but also that students can also benefit from experiencing schooling around the world.

In Asia, for example, the demand for “Western-style education” has led many students to start visiting American and European learning platforms. For instance, 24HourAnswers, a platform that provides answers to students’ academic questions, saw a surge in traffic from places like Japan, China, and India.

The schools definitely noticed that modern students want opportunities to learn from several sources and perspectives. It’s time for parents and schools to start adjusting to the new reality and provide students with the global exposure they need.

How Global Schooling Could Help Students

So far, we’ve established that learning about new cultures and perspectives is crucial for success in the modern world. Students need to prepare themselves to collaborate with a multicultural workforce and to understand the nuances of international relations.

But we’ve just scratched the surface. There are many more benefits to global learning, including:

● Flexibility

Different students, naturally, have different learning styles, schedules, and goals. Constraining the students to a single location, fixed timetable, and defined curriculum can limit their educational potential.

Not to mention that we’re discovering that there are more students with sensory issues than we thought. These students would greatly benefit from working with specialists that could personalize their learning experience.

● Selection

With large migrations across Europe and Asia, schools look more diverse than ever. It’s estimated that in high-income countries, around 15% of students are now from migrant backgrounds.

While a new country can give these students access to the education they need, a lot of them would still like to have an opportunity to learn about their home country and ancestor culture.

Connecting with teachers from their native land in their native language can help them make sense of their roots. That way, they can establish a healthier relationship with a place that shaped their parents.

● Accessibility

Students in remote areas have had problems accessing quality education all throughout history. With no need to commute from one place to another, remote and online learning has democratized education.

New technological advancements can help this process further by allowing students from all four corners of the globe to attend virtual classes in Metaverse-inspired classrooms.

Last year, Jeremy Bailenson, the director of Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, started teaching a VR class called “Virtual People.” Already, 260 people have been enrolled.

● Globalization

According to research from the World Economic Forum, the Asia Pacific region, followed by Europe, North, and Latin America, has had the biggest presence on learning platforms. Other regions will undoubtedly soon follow suit.

Experts in different fields aren’t concentrated in a single part of the world anymore. Leading STEM researchers are mainly located in Asia, the best programmers tend to be located in Europe, and so on and so forth.

Giving students access to the best professionals globally can help them learn more quickly and maximize their potential. Whether looking for help with math homework or trying to learn how to program in Python, global education platforms can give students access to educational materials from around the world.

The Future of Schooling

In the end, what are we proposing? Should all schools move online and start offering fully customized learning programs for students? Not at all. That would be far too drastic of a change, and since students need to socialize, this approach could be counterproductive.

However, it’s undeniable that the global approach to education has many benefits for today’s learners. The question is, when will we be ready to move beyond the traditional system and take advantage of what the world has to offer?

No matter what form global schooling takes, this new approach can and will help students more than it will hurt them.

9 Implementations To Make Your Business More Disability Inclusive

By

Manuela Willbold

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January 24, 2023

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An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, experience a significant disability. All these people use the products and services of businesses every single day, whether it’s supermarkets, retail websites, banks, or healthcare centres.

But despite this, it is remarkable how many organisations fail to make their business suitably inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. Accessibility is more than just a wheelchair ramp or elevator. There are countless forms of disability, many of which are invisible.

It’s important that businesses large and small, take steps to make people with disabilities feel welcome, valued, and accepted. Too often, when buildings are erected or websites created, accessibility is seen as an afterthought at best. If true systemic change is to happen, inclusivity must be at the heart of all businesses.

If you own a small business and are wondering how you can make your company more disability-inclusive, there are so many things you can do. It’s important to remember that while physical access is crucial, it is only a small part of the solution.

What is really at the heart of the matter is equal service and ensuring that those with disabilities feel respected and empowered.

Here are a few tips for different kinds of disabilities to get you started.

1. Easy Parking

Most people without a disability don’t think about the considerations a disabled person has to make when choosing a business to fulfill their needs. Those with wheelchairs and reduced mobility will tend to opt for those with the most accessible parking spaces. This applies to everything from shops and cinemas to law firms and accountants. Parking in a busy town or city can be difficult for anyone, but for people with disabilities, it is often a dealbreaker.

Don’t let your lack of accessible parking cost you, customers. When choosing an office space to rent or erect your premises, this should be a major consideration. Designated handicapped parking spaces need to be laid out and marked in a particular way, as well as being wider and as close as possible to the main customer entrance.

2. Clear Pathways

Those with mobility impairments must be able to get around easily, both outside and inside your store or offices. Ensure all pathways are wide enough for wheelchairs, crutches, guide dogs, or human assistants.

A disabled person should be able to get from their transport to your premises with ease, but this shouldn’t stop at the front door. Interior passageways should be wide and kept clear at all times. Most people underestimate the need for hallways and corridors to be clutter-free.

It’s common in many offices to see cardboard boxes casually placed on the floor, or garish product displays set up right in the middle of a supermarket. But for a disabled person, this can be a huge inconvenience. Not to mention a dangerous hazard for someone who is vision impaired.

The layout of your office or store should be factored in, and there must be space for a wheelchair to pass through, turn around, and navigate corners with ease.

3. Good Lighting

There are far too many trendy stores and restaurants that attempt to create an atmosphere by keeping the lighting as low as possible. For many consumers, this is a minor annoyance, but for people with vision impairments or reduced mobility, it can be a real danger.

It’s important to make sure your store or office interiors are well-lit, so anyone can see their way around at any time of the day or night.

If possible, try to allow as much natural light into the building as possible, by leaving blinds and curtains open during the day and removing any obstacles from windows.

If necessary, supplement this with additional lighting, especially in passageways and other high-traffic areas.

4. Minimal Noise

A lot of businesses play loud music at all times of the day, but this can be incredibly distressing for those who are hard of hearing. It makes it far more difficult for them to have a conversation or get help from a member of staff.

Although there’s nothing wrong with playing music at a low level, make sure it is not overwhelming and consider people on the spectrum of autism for example, who are hypersensitive.

5. Easy-to-Reach Products

If you own a shop, you want disabled people to be able to reach the products they need without help. High shelves are a major inconvenience for those in wheelchairs, little people, and others who may have trouble seeing or reaching the products on display. Generally, anything above four feet off the ground is not going to be accessible for many people.

The same applies to restaurants, and it is increasingly common to see dining establishments with high tables and service counters. Most buildings are designed and built by non-disabled people, many of whom are taller than the average person and don’t factor other needs into account. This can make life difficult for shorter people and exclude wheelchair users entirely. Generally, try to keep the things you want your customers to see at a lower level.

6. Accessible Toilets

Navigating public toilets can be difficult for disabled people, especially if they are in an unfamiliar building or location and don’t know what the facilities are like. Some disabilities mean an individual will need to use the toilet more often than most, so it’s important you have accessible bathrooms to cater to the disabled.

Having a separate accessible toilet for the sole use of those who are disabled is ideal. If your establishment has a single toilet cubicle for disabled and non-disabled customers to share, this can lead to long wait times and cause anxiety. Someone with a disability is unlikely to patronise a business with inadequate toilet facilities.

It’s essential you ensure you have a toilet that is accessible and comfortable. Make sure you get input from disabled people in the process, so you know everything you need to include.

7. Staff Training

Some members of your staff may not know people with disabilities or be aware of the challenges they face. Although they no doubt mean well, this may make it difficult for them to provide the service a disabled person may need. It’s possible they may display signs of ableism – whether intentional or not – that can make someone with a disability feel unwelcome and insulted.

As an example, a shop employee may not know how to interact with someone who has a visibility impairment and will ignore them because they don’t know what to do. On the other end of the spectrum, many people with disabilities have experienced people being overly condescending and attentive when their help is not required.

Actions like moving someone’s wheelchair without permission are an extreme invasion of one’s personal space, yet those who carry out this behaviour often don’t realise they are doing something wrong.

The solution is to ensure your staff undergoes full training in inclusivity and diversity. For those who are customer-facing, it is essential that they can meet the needs of the entire business clientele, providing an excellent service to all customers, disabled or not.

Training should ensure your employees are knowledgeable and sensitive to the requirements of disabled people while making them aware that some disabilities are not visible. The training can also focus on soft skills as they are important for any customer-facing member of staff.

8. An Accessible Website

When thinking about accessibility, most business owners don’t consider the importance of their company website. But using the internet is a challenge for many disabled people, especially those with vision impairments, reduced motor function, or learning difficulties like dyslexia.

Making sure your website is inclusive to these individuals will only necessitate minor changes on your part but will make a world of difference to a disabled person. Things like breaking up content into digestible chunks or making the font larger will ensure it is easier to read.

Optimise and upgrade your website for keyboard navigation, as this will improve the user experience for those with motor difficulties that have trouble using a mouse. Write helpful alt text on images so those with impaired vision can understand the content and be careful with your use of colours.

Offering live chat functionality is a great way to enable many disabled people to contact your business, as they may not be able to visit you in person and it is a lot simpler than using the phone or email. Take a look at some of the best chat solutions for websites.

9. Company Culture

It’s not only important that your business is inclusive to its customers, but also to its employees. There’s a high chance that one or more of your staff have a disability, so as an employer, you must be sensitive to that fact. It is your responsibility as an employer to cultivate a work environment that is transparent, positive, and inclusive.

Closing Thoughts

You want to foster a workplace in which those who are disabled feel comfortable sharing their experiences and challenges. Make a conscious effort to hire people with disabilities and promote learning and change across your organisation.

Not only will you be creating a welcoming environment for those with disabilities, but you will also be helping your business by expanding your customer base.

The 6 Benefits of Standing Desks for Teachers & Students

By

Manuela Willbold

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January 20, 2023

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In today’s classrooms, standing desks are becoming increasingly popular to improve student learning and engagement and the well-being of all.

In a study released by the Office for National Statistics in 2018, one of the four most common reasons for sickness absence of musculoskeletal problems (including back pain and neck and upper limb problems).

With many education settings grappling with student absenteeism and increased staff absences, standing desks could improve the situation. Standing desks are not only beneficial for students’ and educators’ physical health, but they can also help to create a more productive learning environment, improve focus, and promote better posture.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of using standing desks in the classroom and discuss why they are becoming an increasingly popular choice for educators and schools.

The top 6 Benefits of using Standing Desks in Education

1. Better Physical Health

Standing desks can help to improve students’ and educators’ physical health by reducing the amount of time they spend sitting in one position. This can help to reduce the risk of developing poor posture, back pain, and other health problems associated with prolonged sitting.

Additionally, standing desks can help to increase students’ and educators’ energy levels and alertness, which can lead to improved focus and engagement in the classroom.

2. Increased Focus

Standing desks can help to improve student and educator focus by allowing them to move around and change positions throughout the day. This can help to reduce fatigue and increase engagement in the classroom.

Additionally, standing desks can help to reduce distractions by allowing students to stand away from other students who may be disruptive.

3. Improved Posture

Standing desks can help to improve students’ and educators’ posture by encouraging them to stand upright and maintain good posture while at school. This can help to reduce the risk of developing poor posture, which can lead to a variety of health problems.

Additionally, good posture can help to improve students’ focus and concentration, which can lead to better academic performance.

4. Higher Productivity

Standing desks can help to increase student and educator productivity by encouraging physical activity which stimulates the mind and brain activity. Engaging in theoretical activities combined with physical movement activates muscle memory as well.

Memorization and recall are enhanced and lead to higher productivity when engaged in tasks or assignments.

5. Increased Energy

Standing desks can help to increase energy levels in the classroom by allowing students and educators to move around and get their blood circulating. This can help to keep students alert and focused, leading to better learning outcomes.

The EZ Shopper standing desk for example is an adjustable desk, which is designed with a wide range of heights, so students and educators of all sizes can find a comfortable position to work in. It also features a spacious work surface, making it easy for its users to spread out their materials and work efficiently.

Additionally, it is easy to assemble, making it a great choice for educators who want to quickly and easily set up a standing desk in their classroom.

Why is standing up while learning more effective?

Standing up when answering questions, doing quizzes or exams helps the student stay focused and engaged in the lesson. It also helps to create a sense of order in the classroom and can help the teacher to better assess the student’s well-being.

Additionally, standing up when answering questions can help to increase the student’s confidence and self-esteem, as it shows that they have the courage to speak up and be heard in front of the class.

Finally, standing up can also help to improve posture and blood circulation, which can lead to better overall health and well-being.

Is it better to sit or stand while studying?

A lot of research has been done on the effects of sitting and standing on learning outcomes.

Generally, the consensus is that standing is better for learning than sitting. Studies have shown that standing desks can improve concentration, reduce distractions, and increase engagement.

Additionally, standing can help to improve posture and reduce back pain. A standing desk can be more beneficial if used properly, by alternating between sitting and standing throughout the day and by following the recommended height guidelines for a more comfortable posture.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to sit or stand while studying should depend on the individual and their needs. Some people may find that they are more productive while sitting, while others may find that they are more productive while standing.

It is important to experiment and find out what works best for everyone. However, to maintain a good posture throughout the day and taking regular breaks in order to keep the mind and body engaged while at school is a key elements of a healthy lifestyle.

How to build a football career with football training for jobs in football?

By

Manuela Willbold

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December 22, 2022

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England is one of only 8 countries to ever have won the World Cup.

But the money and glory aren’t just in playing in the World Cup. The European football market is huge at 21.9 billion pounds. The size of the industry guarantees a place for someone with adequate football training.

Proper football training is indispensable for anyone pursuing a career in football in England.

In this guide, we’ll explain the different stages of undergoing proper football training in England.

Football training as a youth

Most footballers start their journey young. Here are some ways your child can do it as well.

1. Start out at football schools

Football training can start at the age of 4. As a parent, you must focus on your child’s training, exercise, and nutrition.

With this, enroll your child in a football school. It is recommended for children between the ages of 4-12.

The school can provide healthy competition and growth in a structured learning environment for your child. They will be in the hands of professional coaches who will help them become well-rounded and versatile footballers.

Famous football schools in England can be found in almost every city that has a football club. Additionally, you can find football academies that are not part of an FC:

Nike Academy

David Beckham Academy

Academy of Light

Arsenal F.C. Under-23s and Academy

Chelsea F.C. Under-23s and Academy

Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy

Manchester United F.C. Reserves and Academy

Newcastle United F.C. Reserves and Academy

Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Under-23s and Academy

For international football:

FCV International Football Academy

Manchester International Football Academy

You can find many local football training academies in your vicinity as well.

If a football school is not an option, don’t forget that there is football taught at every public and private school in the UK and football clubs are usually offered too. Encourage them to try for the school team. Like Jordan Pickford whose only experience before signing to his hometown club aged eight was playing for his school.

2. Join a football boarding school

Once you have tested the waters with football schools and think your child has what it takes, send them to a high-performance football boarding school.

These boarding schools are geared around creating professional footballers and football is part of their daily routine. These schools will develop your child’s raw talent and teach them the soft skills needed for jobs in football.

One such boarding school and academy is Ertheo where Calaum Jahraldo-Martin spent 2 years in the academy learning everything there is to know about professional football.

Other famous football academies and boarding schools in England are:

Bradfield College

Millfield School

Shrewsbury School

Brooke House College

Conduct research about the nearest boarding schools to you, meet the teachers and coaches, check the facilities, and go with the one you feel is the best match for your child.

3. Participate in football tournaments

Once your child has the training needed, it’s time to test their abilities on the field.

Encourage them to take part in tournaments. Just in 2023, there are three types of football tournaments coming up:

Tournament Nationals – A regional grassroots competition for U7 to U15 boys and U9 to U13 girls.
The One. 11v11 Nationals – A national one-day tournament for 11v11 teams U13 to U18 boys and U14 and U15 girls.
One Tournament England Experience played at St. George’s Park National Football Centre for U8 to U11.

They can also register for football festivals like ESF 2023. It is the biggest football festival operating since 1989.

Your child will be able to meet legends like Robert Pires, John Barnes, Ian Wright, Kevin Keegan, Casey Stoney, Teddy Sheringham, Jordan Nobbs, and Danny Murphy.

Starting a career in football

Being a professional footballer is the dream job for many. It promises fame, wealth, luxury and so much more.

Here are a few steps to follow to get on track for jobs in football.

1. Join a team

Football is a team sport, so if you want to play and learn the game, you must join a team.

To maximize your visibility to scouts during your development, you must play games frequently.

Additionally, don’t be scared to switch teams. While it is good to support a local team, if they lack excellent coaching or perform at a high level, it serves no use for you personally.

You must be willing to look for the best setting for your skills to flourish if you want to succeed as a professional.

How can I join a football team?

You can use the Find England Football website to find the type of team that you are looking for and join them for competitive leagues and tournaments.

2. Create a football CV

It is a good idea to put together a CV listing your:

Positions
Qualifications
Accomplishments, and
Graphic highlights, if any exist.

Not only does it give recruiters and future employers a profile of you, but it also fosters self-reflection, which may help you figure out your strengths and limitations.

Consider your resume as a personal statement outlining both the football player you are today and the one you hope to be in the future. You can use it as a tool for setting goals in that regard. In the digital age, it is also recommended to have an online portfolio or CV website.

3. Get an agent

Football, like many other professions, places a strong emphasis on networking. An agent can help you make contacts within the industry.

Although agents play a variety of roles, their primary responsibility is to match you with appropriate teams and make sure you are treated fairly.

In many instances, agents or agencies will approach you in an effort to represent them. But you can also go look for them.

When looking for an agency, you should do your research because not all of them are close with managers or club officials.

How can I find a good football agent?

Go to the list of FA Registered Intermediaries. You can compare and pick an agent you find suitable and get in touch with them. To make them interested in you as a player, send a highlight video of yourself and make sure the first few seconds include your best plays.

4. Go to a football trial event

A prospective footballer’s club trial might be one of the most important moments in their career.

It’s an opportunity to demonstrate football skills to a potential employer and possibly land a job.

It is advisable to take the trial very seriously, showing the qualities that brought you there in the first place, but also to make an effort to enjoy it.

Do your best throughout the practice and games while showing respect for the staff, coaches, and other players.

Don’t give up even if your trial doesn’t lead to a contract offer. Keep trying.

5. Play football at university

You can also try for a football scholarship at a university. You will get to play on the team and receive higher education.

Clubs keep an eye on collegiate football, and some universities have close relationships with clubs. So, you have a chance to join that club.

You can conduct your football training outside college as well.

For example, Matt Smith gained non-league football experience with New Mills, while studying at the University of Manchester. Subsequently, he made his debut for New Mills in the North West Counties Premier League.

Here are some of the scholarships you can apply for. Once you have chosen a scholarship, visit their official website and check if you meet their criteria.

Variety of jobs in football

Jobs in football don’t just entail playing for a team or in a club. There are tons of other options and let’s explore them.

1. Youth coach

You will work at the grassroots level.

With instructing kids in football, you also have to inspire them to play, watch, or coach football for the rest of their lives.

You will obtain the certifications and credentials required to instruct their sport, such as the FA badges for football coaches, allowing your players to take part in engaging, instructive, and hands-on lessons.

You will need to pursue one of the following degrees at the renowned University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) and Global Institute of Sport at the Wembley and Etihad campus to become a youth coach.

BA (Hons) Football Coaching (Blended)
BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Management
BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Talent Development
MSc Football Coaching
MSc Football Coaching (Blended)
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis (Blended)
MSc Performance Analysis in Football

2. Academy coach

You will work from the grassroots to the professional level for the footballer’s development.

Every level has unique duties that call for unique skill sets. You can pursue degree programs, or several industry certifications to improve your employability. This also includes football-related credentials from The FA and UEFA.

Such Academy coach degrees at the UCFB include:

BA (Hons) Football Coaching (Blended)
BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Management
BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Talent Development
MSc Football Coaching
MSc Football Coaching (Blended)
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis (Blended)
MSc Performance Analysis in Football

One of the first people a young player will interact with when they sign up with a professional club is an academy coach. You will be in charge of overseeing their anticipated growth.

You will also be essential to the management structure of the first team.

3. Performance analyst

The perfect job for football fanatics.

You will analyze each play from every game that a club participates in, and that of the opposition week in advance.

You will print copies for the players and coaching staff to study as they get ready for the upcoming big game.

The coaching staff must have all the resources available to them to prepare their team. It is your job to work around the clock to make sure of this.

Like scouts, you will record the athletes’ performance and fitness levels using tools like Scout7, STATS (previously ProZone), and data gathered by companies like Opta.

Performance coaches typically have degrees from UCFB in the following fields:

BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Talent Development
BA (Hons) Football Coaching (Blended)
BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Management
MSc Football Coaching
MSc Football Coaching (Blended)
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis (Blended)
MSc Performance Analysis in Football

4. Scout

Do you have an undying love for the game? Work as a scout and you can see thousands of players of all ages and levels over a season and unearth tomorrow’s talent.

You should have a natural eye for spotting talent in any position as a scout, and a voracious appetite for football at all levels.

Stats, data, and software now play a significant role in scouting new talent in the twenty-first century.

Finding the next generation of talent is made easier by programs like Scout7 and STATS (previously ProZone) and gathered by companies like Opta.

You can pursue either of these degrees at UCFB to become a scout:

BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Talent Development
MSc Football Coaching & Analysis

So what’s next for you?

England loves football with unimaginable passion. Exactly how popular is football here in England?

A Statista survey revealed that in the 2020/21 academic year, around 33.3 percent of children aged between 5 and 16 had played football in the week prior to the survey.

So, there’s a tremendous opportunity and competition in the UK to build a football career, not to mention possible fame and wealth. Lace those boots, give up excuses, gather the information you need, and get going.

What is Blooket & how can Teachers use Blooket Play in the Classroom?

By

Manuela Willbold

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December 16, 2022

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Blooket is a learning-based platform that offers interactive gameplay and several classroom and learning benefits.

Unlike other quiz learning sites and online games, this one also has a more classic style – played after winning points in the questions and answers section. It adds excitement and a lot of fun, as an Ed Tech tool offering interactive online learning, and a system that’s very easy to use.

If you’re a teacher looking to engage your class of students, Blooket is without a doubt a good alternative for you and your students. It has become a popular learning tool that teachers can use to increase students’ participation while keeping them engaged and entertained through different activities.

But what is the hype about and what’s behind it?

What is a Blooket?

Blooket is a quiz and review tool that enables teachers to enhance classroom engagement. Blooket is a gamified learning platform where educators host quiz games through a set of questions, and students respond using their own devices. This tool is assessment-focused, particularly formative assessment in the form of quizzes teachers can use in the classroom.

Students who correctly answer questions gain points, which they can use to buy and sell “Blooks.” Blooks represent players and are blocks that can be used for

play! On Blooket, there are hundreds of ready-made question sets already available for you to use, or you have the choice to create your own set of questions specific to your class.

This new method of reviewing or practicing knowledge can raise student interest and engagement, but there are also limitations to it that teachers need to know about.

How does Blooket work?

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Blooket is an incredibly simple sign-up process that enables teachers to create a free account instantly with just their email address. Games can be created easily utilizing pre-built questions or entirely custom builds. In either case, teachers can assign kids a code for the game so they can join easily whenever they want.

Blooket has a typical standard quiz-style section that provides a question with several different answer options in the form of big color blocks. Once the questions are answered and points are earned, these can be used in the game before moving on to the next set of questions.

In the cafe mode, students should answer questions to earn food to serve customers in the game. Or in Tower of Doom, students choose characters to compete against one another and answer questions to win. Then there is the Tower Defense game, which most students have probably already played in some way.

Pros of Blooket

Blooket makes the learning process for students and teachers much easier and more entertaining. Here is a list of benefits that Blooket provides to both.

1. Similar questions, different game

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For every set of questions, you do not need to create a new game. Instead, you

can use a single set of questions to play several games from your teacher’s

account. Keep in mind that you can create these sets yourself or find them in the

search function on the website.

2. Ease of use

Teachers can design their own question papers and question sets and they can create various games. Students can sign up using a code and participate in real-time quizzes using their phones or other devices, after which they can easily play games. All the games on Blooket are completely safe and secure for all age

groups. All the students can participate individually or as a team in various types of games. And the student with the quickest right answer wins the game.

3. Variety of game modes

This platform has a variety of game types, and the developers excel at adding new game types based on what’s currently popular. For instance, they’ll provide exclusive Christmas or Halloween modes. Since these Blooket game modes are typically time-limited, the students’ involvement is significantly increased.

4. Self-Paced

Many of the games allow students to answer questions at their own pace.

They are not required to wait for time to pass or for everyone to finish answering a question before going on to the next one.

5. Competitive

The game options put the kids in competition with one another. The game options usually involve an element of twist and fun, which keeps students interested and makes the competition enjoyable.

6. Student Perspective

Blooket is very convenient and user-friendly for students to use and access in the classroom or at home. After creating an account, all students need to do to get started is submit their nickname and icon, along with the game ID for the game or activity their teacher assigned.

7. Racing mode

All teachers can randomly assign a quiz to their students, but they can’t

participate in the quiz with other teachers or with their students. All kinds of teachers can also randomly assign a quiz to their students, and they can win potential points to add excitement to the game. The student who responds to the quizzes or questions the quickest can receive more points. Students who provide inaccurate answers, however, receive no points.

Cons of Blooket

Blooket has a few cons, some of which are listed below:

1. Students must read the questions

The teacher cannot read every question because each student is working at their own pace, and there is no immersive reader built in. This makes this website a good option only for older students.

2. You need to include a lot of questions

For each game, you can choose whether you want each game to stop when someone reaches a given score or at a specific time (for example, giving students 7 minutes to play). The game will go on till the time you specify. This implies that, unless there are many questions in the set, students who answer quickly will see the same questions repeated again.

3. You cannot edit sets of questions other users have created

If you come across a set of questions that are close to what you need but not perfect, you will need to make your own set of questions. Hence teachers cannot

exchange questions and there are no alternatives to copy and then edit question

sets made by others.

4. You cannot see student data

You cannot view student data unless you have a paid account. In the free edition, you simply get a report that shows the percentage of questions that were answered correctly or incorrectly by each student.

You cannot see information about the questions that were missed. Blooket is now a better choice for games used for reviews rather than assessments. If you’re using a free account, there are a maximum of 60 students allowed in each game.

Blooket best Tips and Tricks for Teachers

1. Adapt what’s there

The quickest approach to get started is to search through the already-available question sets and modify them to your specifications.

2. Set the speed

Numerous games focus on speed, but you can change this in the options, so it’s not as important as it might seem. This is a smart move on the part of the students to relieve some of their pressure.

3. Reward the class

Set up a quiz game as an exit ticket for the students about what was taught in the class. You can set assignments first, and as the class finishes, they get to start the game, incentivizing them to pay attention and then start playing – which is still learning.

4. Teaching with Blooket

With Blooket, you can revolutionize the classroom learning experience in several ways. It is a fun game that helps everyone study more effectively and allows teachers to spend more time with their students.

Blooket is the best choice for effective learning, and there are questions and quizzes available for every school subject. In Blooket, you can explore the following topics:

Science questions related to scientific phenomena and earth
Math questions, like algebra, geometry, expressions, and equations.
Fun & holiday activities, like movie-based quizzes, anime, sports, public holidays, self-esteem, etc.

It is worth mentioning that Blooket empowers the learner’s game in several ways:

Students receive direct feedback right after answering the quizzes.
The different game modes assist students in demonstrating their learning skills without getting frustrated or bored by traditional learning.
Students have the choice to customize their learning environment by developing their Blooks as they desire.
Teachers can check student progress at any moment throughout the year.
Blooket also enables students to connect with each other even if they are not in the same physical place. The same game ID provides them with the opportunity to access the game from anywhere and at any time.

Final Thoughts

If you want an engaging way to interact with your students in the classroom, especially to combine assessment with fun, check out Blooket and add it to your repository of suitable Ed Tech resources for your class.

Blooket is a handy tool to utilize in the classroom because of its versatility. It can be used for topic reviews, homework, or even as a creative approach to introducing new information to boost students’ grades. It’s simple for students to use and access from anywhere, and it’s a great way to keep them engaged in school learning.

iSpring Solutions Inc. launches Quiz Maker 11

By

UK Education News Publisher

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November 23, 2022

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iSpring Solutions Inc., a global leader in the eLearning software and services sector, launched iSpring Quiz Maker 11 – a convenient, functional, and easy-to-learn quiz creation tool with an intuitive interface. Interactive HTML5 and SCORM quizzes and surveys, and publish them to the web or an LMS.

It’s possible to use templates with 14 question types and illustrate the content with graphics and animations.

ispring-solutions-launches-quiz-maker-11 Source

Additional key features of iSpring QuizMaker 11:

Customizable Quiz Design. Slide View mode for designing quiz slides. Users can choose one of the pre-designed themes or create one by customizing the layout, color, background, and fonts.
Branching scenarios. Users can build interactive experiences for the examinees: take them to different questions or info slides depending on their answer choices.
Individual Feedback. Create custom feedback messages for each answer choice and enhance feedback with images, videos, or detailed instructions.
Audio-based questions. Educators can use audio-based questions in their quizzes.
Quizzes and tests with equations. With the built-in Equation Editor, users can create quizzes and tests with mathematical symbols and expressions: square root, power, integral, and many more.

Educators can create new tests with iSpring Quiz Maker or import existing ones from the Excel tables.

About iSpring Solutions

iSpring Solution is a global leader in creating award-winning eLearning software. For over 20 years, the company has developed more than ten stand-alone eLearning tools, including iSpring QuizMaker, iSpring Converter Pro, and iSpring Cam Pro. These tools are highly anticipated among eLearning professionals both separately and together — in iSpring Suite, an all-in-one authoring toolkit. iSpring is recognized for its beautifully engineered products and exceptional customer service.

Over 59,000 customers in more than 170 countries choose iSpring for its high level of performance and reliability. The customer list includes thousands of freelance Instructional Designers and teachers, almost 200 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.

For more news about educational technology head to ed tech | UK Education Blog (clickdo.co.uk).

How to survive on £250 a Month? Tips For Family Claimants That Apply For Universal Credit

By

Shirley Owen

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November 21, 2022

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The cost of living in the UK is more expensive than in 80% of countries in the world with single person estimated monthly costs at £2,201.

In these conditions, claiming Universal Credit to help with living costs is common with more than 5.8 million people claiming UC in England, Scotland, and Wales.

We will tell you:

How much Universal Credit allowance you can get
Tips to cut down your essential costs to £250
Additional benefits of Universal Credit you can avail

Universal Credit Allowance – What you can claim

If you are out of work or low-income (lower than UK’s 60% median income), you can qualify for a standard allowance:

The single claimant under 25: £265.31 per month
Single claimant 25 or over: £334.91 per month
Joint claimants both under 25: £416.45 per month
Joint claimants either aged 25 or over: £525.72 per month
Each child: £250 – £290.

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Let’s take a household for instance with two adults and two children. Universal credit will give you an allowance of around £1000 – £1500. The average disposable income in the UK is £31,400. With Universal Credit, you are nowhere close to this number. If you have a couple outside Greater London, you have a £20,000 a year cap, and inside Greater London, you have a £23,000 a year cap.

The solution is learning to live on the bare minimum in this time of crisis.

In this article, we will help give you tips on how to cover your essential costs like food and water for under £250 a month. It does not include rent which can be anywhere from £800-£1200.

how-to-survive-on-£250-a-month Source

This is how a UK household spends £585.60 per week. Let’s focus on where we can cut down.

5 Tips on reducing Spending to keep Costs under £250

1. Cut down Food Costs

Households are spending £62/week on food and 51/week on restaurants. Eating in restaurants is not an option on your budget.

One person can actually survive on £15-20/week when it comes to balanced food. This comes to £60-£80 a month.

Cut down on restaurant costs by packing yourself lunch if you must go to work. You can also do weekly budget meal prep, cook in large batches, and freeze the leftovers.

Prepare more raw food dishes to save on energy for cooking meals.

Tip: View this video to learn how you can prepare a £6/week meal prep plan. You can find other videos and tips from chefs like Jamie Oliver as well that will help you prepare cheap nutritious snacks and meals.

2. Find cheap Clothing

One household spends £25/week on clothing. Locate good charity shops like Oxfam Shop and local thrift stores around you.

You can find T-shirts for as cheap as £3. Alternatively, you can use secondhand shops or apps where you can buy used clothes in good condition for often half the price.

3. Reduce your Household Bills

The major household bills you need to pay are electricity, heat, and water, about £80/per week for an average household.

Price comparison websites are your best friend. Find the cheapest resources by comparing prices.

A four-bed house with an occupancy of four people can actually manage with £120-150 a month. This means £30-40/per person. And if you can use more sustainable energy sources like solar, you can make additional savings.

4. Use more affordable Transport

Abandon your dreams of a car. There is no set figure of what you can cut your transport costs too because it depends on where you can commute. A household spends £80/week on commuting. Which means one person spends £80/month.

Here is how you can save money on transport:

Railcards are £30 per year, and they could save you up to a third of the cost of your rail ticket.
Find carpool services online.
Use services like Trainsplit that split the tickets for you.
Bikes are your best friend. Use them for short-distance commutes.

5. Learn from Students

If we take transport to be £60/month, clothing £40/month, food £80/month, and bills £40/month, we are at £190/month.

This gives you room to plan for entertainment. There is no doubt that you have a social life and need to go out with other people even when you are on a budget.

Students have the best tips on saving money for entertainment activities.

Have healthier yet more filling meals such as potato or rice dishes before going out so that you don’t have to buy expensive takeaway food later.
Prepare food for yourself before you go out.
Use apps like Bigdish to find cheap food and discount offers.

3 Additional Benefits of Universal Credit to be claimed

1. Disabled Child Allowance

You may get extra money if your dependent child is disabled. This amount is paid at a higher or lower rate based on your conditions.

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2. Childcare Cover

Regardless of the hours you work, you can apply for Universal Credit to help with the costs of childcare.

You can claim up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit and meet some additional conditions. The amounts you can receive in childcare costs are:

A maximum of £646.35 per month for one child
A maximum of £1108.04 per month for 2 or more children

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3. Extra Support

You can apply for Universal Credit and get non-monetary perks as well.

Help with health costs, including prescriptions and dental treatment
Additional help towards housing payments if your Universal Credit payment is not enough to pay your rent
Free school meals
Free early education for two-year-olds
SureStart maternity grants
Cold Weather Payments
Support with travel costs to attend job interviews or start work
Support with the provision of clothing to start work
Support with upfront childcare costs until you receive your first wage

Read more about the additional benefits that you might qualify for.

You can use these calculators for information on more benefits:

Gather your household information about your savings, income including your partner’s (from pay slips, for example), existing benefits and pensions (including anyone living with you), outgoings (such as rent, mortgage, childcare payments), council tax bill to see how much Universal Credit, you can qualify for.

These tips should help all families that are likely to struggle during this recession and energy crisis and there are many things families can do to reduce their spending. If you have children that are students, you can check out these successful student finance blogs too for more inspiration.