Community

The business of education

Microsoft and the Open University have signed a memorandum of understanding with a Tyneside secondary school - Monkseaton Community High School and Specialist Language College - to form a pathfinder for trust schools. The government’s pathfinder programme aims to explore how trust schools will work and to create templates for how business can appropriately engage with schools.
The collaboration builds on the school’s existing relationships with both organisations. Microsoft’s role will be to develop a learning gateway to enable teachers, children, LEA’s and parents to access relevant support for learning from any location. It will also develop IT resources for use in teaching, learning and sharing materials, and provide business-related learning opportunities for students. Contact Microsoft www.microsoft.com

Safety first

Nissan, the Health and Safety Executive and Building Schools for the Future were among the ten organisations to host a workshop on basic health and safety skills for Sunderland school children in early February. Pupils from two primary schools spoke to employees from the organisations and then took part in a series of practical learning exercises, held at the Nissan sports and social centre. Sarah Nicklin of Education Business Connections said the day had been a great success and was a good opportunity for the pupils to start thinking about career opportunities. Contact HSE www.hse.gov.uk

Opportunities for growth

Companies across the Lincolnshire Fenlands are being encouraged to team up with local primary and secondary schools to promote careers in horticulture. Growing the Future, a three-year project managed by the Lincolnshire and Rutland Education Business Partnership, has funding of £344,0000 from a European Union programme to help rural communities improve their economic prosperity and quality of life. The project’s administrator Rick Colton said: “There is much to be gained for companies which get involved, such as the identification of future potential employees, better links with the community, professional development of staff and possible national accreditation for working with schools”. Contact Growing the Future www.lrebp.org.uk

in brief

The Reuters Foundation is providing £1.75m over five years to establish and develop the Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. Contact Reuters Foundation www.foundation.reuters.com