Our work is based on over 25 years of experience supporting teachers and pupils alongside a constant awareness of what the research evidence suggests will have most impact. Much of this work has been to involve pupils in developing their cultural capital through greater awareness of the world of work, especially on their doorstep. Developing a sense of agency in this way results in more motivated and confident young people. The aim of Spark is to ensure that children grow up with the awareness and commitment to be drivers of progress in their own lives and local economy. Large scale research data suggests that our approach will have a long term impact on both the pupils’ school attainment as well as longer term career progression. Spark as a company was set up to make our mission sustainable and make a difference. We would love to do it for free but unfortunately we aren’t billionaires living in secret caves beneath our houses…
WHY?
HOW?
Working for many years as a ‘middle man’ between the world of work and education, our experience continues to produce high impact events and projects that work for all stakeholders. An appreciation of what is possible and desirable for both education and business at the outset of a project is absolutely essential and provides an effective platform on which to develop a project or resource. Coupled with many years of experience, our approach allows us to use the best bits of what we know works to develop innovative and engaging opportunities that work well as CSR/ESG from the business side and have a huge impact for the pupils, teachers and parents.
Spark Tees Valley is an internationally recognised company that specialises in supporting schools to deliver an engaging curriculum that develops cultural capital effectively. This includes a huge range of resources that ‘plug in’ to existing curriculum planning to enhance knowledge of how school learning relates to the World of Work. Most resources are aimed at primary and are created in a style that has been developed with schools over the last decade to have maximum impact on the intended audience. Spark’s work also includes support for developing digital agency and effective use of technology in the classroom along with a huge range of innovative events and projects that schools can get involved in.
WHAT?
WHO?
Andrew Stogdale has been supporting schools with technology and raising aspirations for over a quarter of a century. Yes, he IS that old. Despite claims to the contrary, Andrew does not claim to be an expert with coding and computers, instead he focusses on how digital technology enriches the wider curriculum and gives a sense of agency to all learners. If he leaves a room without pupils feeling they are more motivated and able than when he walked in, he takes it personally.
Sonia Herlingshaw is part time Spark and part time Computing lead at Normanby Primary School, one of the first hand held learning primaries in the country. She is intensely enthusiastic about everything and brings energy and passion to both the delivery of events and the creative resources that she develops. Sadly she no longer thinks it is possible to become a Disney Princess so she sprinkles her excessive enthusiasm in classrooms instead.
Examples
- ‘Behind the scenes’ resources about the world of work created to be engaging and informative for pupil audiences
- Creativity days with a focus on work based skills and attitudes
- Well organised ‘connecting employers and pupil’ events
- Creative use of technology days in school
- In-school support working with teachers, teacher assistants, pupils, governors and parents
- Development of CSR/ESG programmes, events or resources