BUSINESS TO SCHOOL
FROM
‘What I learnt in business helped me create opportunities in school,’ says Kevin Parker (above), school business manager at Ann Edwards Church of England Primary School near Cirencester. ‘Prior to becoming an SBM, I worked in both retailing and education recruitment. I supplied teachers to more than 150 schools across the Midlands and the South West, which meant that I got to speak to a range of headteachers and senior leaders about their visions for education. And, because I was visiting schools, I was able to see first-hand what some had achieved – and ask lots of questions about what they had done. Working in recruitment taught me
12 SPR NG 20 6 SUMIMER 22102 F FundE 1 undEdd
how to communicate confidently with all kinds of people, to listen to what each person wants to do, and to understand the perspective they are starting from. This has served me well in my current role when I have approached businesses for support. My degree in business management and human resources was also a useful grounding, with units in marketing and business enterprise giving me the knowledge and skills to successfully market projects and initiatives. I’ve realised that people in
positions of power are still people – and are therefore approachable! If you have a story to pitch about wanting to provide your pupils with opportunities, then go ahead and pitch it. Of course, it can be nerve- wracking to step outside your comfort zone, but my top tip is to stay focused on the person, rather than their job title. The three main questions I face
from school staff and SBMs are: n Why do you want to work with
businesses? n How do you get started? n What’s in it for the businesses?
Why work with businesses? The main reason our school wants to network with business is to grow the image and name of Ann Edwards positively across Gloucestershire and beyond. We are at the heart of a large village, and through activities such as community coffee mornings we work hard to build emotional investment in our school, and to make the most of local skillsets, knowledge and connections. My aim is to showcase the fantastic work already going on, and attract support to develop future opportunities. As with many schools, a decade’s
worth of cuts has impacted our investment into systems, processes and equipment. School budgets are heavily determined by pupil numbers and, for various reasons, such as some of our service children moving abroad and a low local birth rate in recent years, we have spaces in every year group. We don’t yet need help with pens and pencils, but any support we do receive frees up the budget to invest in long-term objectives. By raising the profile of Ann Edwards, we aim to attract more families, while also increasing income streams from local businesses and grants providers.
Getting started Many businesses want to work with schools – they just don’t always
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