calling all teachers- is this a good idea

[elliot3]

I'm thinking of setting up a company which organises speakers/visitors to go into schools for a variety of subjects curriculum functions- do you think this is a good idea, is there a need for it, would schools have a budget for this and do you know of any companies who do it already?

No it isn't.

Independent schools might be better. But not a guarentee. They have to watch their budgets too!

I think an MP would be lynched if s/he was paid to speak at a school, to be honest. A chance to speak and influence young minds just as they were about to start a lifetime of voting - a dream!

The other think to fact in is that there is very little time during the AS/A2 curriculum to teach the required work.

I fully acept that seeing interesting/ motivational people would be great for sixth formers. But far less use if they don't get the grades they need to go to University. I already have to factor in missing time for kids to do field trips for other subject, miss lessons because of other subjects exam requirements.

If I was going to lose a lesson every 5 weeks, I'd be bloody annoyed.

I know that school is more than just passing exams, but the kids do have to pass in the end!

okay - do you think there's space in themarket for a kind of career magazine or website even for sixth formers along these lines?

yes, particularlt a web site.

Im not a teacher read your op not read all your posts.
Could you charge people who want to get in touch with kids, and conect them with schools?
So you have data base of people what field they are in what location crb up to date etc
Then you contact schools with no charge to them to offer them inspiring people to talk perform etc
For a better idea get in touch with local schools, afterschool clubs,playschemes, to get there ideas
good luck

martianbishop - are there any websites doing this/careers i could have a look at? Would schools subscribe to such a thing?

Most schools I've worked in get people in for free (independent or state) e.g. religious groups, animal welfare, writers promoting their books, old boy / girl network of people who have done impressive things such as walking to poles etc. Any money that is paid is usually a donation to a charity.

Army, police, local buinesses, parents are also very good at coming in to do careers advice.

Think it might be a minefield if you were organising people to go into schools rather than the school itself organising it. I think if it was run as a buisness then people would expect the guests to be CRB checked which is a nightmare.

Most of your ideas wouldn't work at our place Eliot. Our 6th form college, like others, is 2000 strong. No way could a speaker talk to the whole bunch (we don't ever get all the students together). If it was part of the pastoral programme we have tutorials on different days of the week so that would take some management. We DO have speakers regularly but we go direct to the relevant organisations/ people or they come to us. In fact, our politics department recently organised for the local MP to come in to talk to them and other interested students. Can't really see why you'd want to go through a 3rd party to organise this when you can just phone the MP (or whoever) direct and they come for free.

thanks blackandwhitecat - do you think a website would work , one doing the same kind of thing- really picking your brains here everyone

I do like the idea but I have to admit that I can't see any situation where I personally would use it. At 6th form time is really pressured. I would only take students on a trip of get some one in if it was really worthwhile and easy to arrange and cheap. We have to fill in a 10 page risk assessment to get anything done and a zillion different forms if money is involved. We get contacted quite regularly with people offering study days, lectures, trips etc and the majority are ignored. I don't work on the pastoral side but as I said earlier the year's programme is arranged really early well before the beginning of the academic year and tehre woulen't be any room for alteration. I'm pretty sure that it's the same deal. There are more people wanting to come in to talk to our captive audience for free than we could possibly accommodate. I think you'd need to talk to more secondary and primary schools to see what the demand is like.