Category Archives: Educational Institution

Online Education Provider Interactive Design Institute Introduces the Employers Discount Scheme

The UK’s leading provider of online qualifications in Art & Design has introduced a scheme that enables those already in employment, the opportunity to gain the degree they’ve always wanted.

Spokesperson for the Interactive Design Institute, Michael Stewart, says, “Our admissions team was frequently approached by working professionals keen to upgrade existing design based qualifications and those looking for a means to retrain for an alternative career in design. At the Institute, we already have the type of courses that suit the learner who is looking for a flexible mode of study but we were prompted to look for ways in which we could make these courses even more affordable and that’s when we came up with the “Employers Discount Scheme”.

The idea behind the scheme is simple; both the employer and the employee are responsible for the overall course fee but because this is shared, the cost is minimised. The scheme is designed to assist both the employer and their employees, not only through generous discounts on course fees, but also by providing cost effective, in service training and career development opportunities. Employees are encouraged to enhance their qualifications at a fraction of the usual cost while employers may be able to offset their portion of the fees against tax, safe in the knowledge that the service provider, IDI, is a collaborative partner of the University of Hertfordshire, one of the UK’s leading universities.

“It really is a “win win” situation”, says Stewart. “IDI is widely recognised as a provider of high quality design based courses and we take the burden of organising continued professional training away from the employer and provide a comprehensive educational programme that leads to a universally recognised, UK based qualification”.

Praise for the scheme is already flooding in to the Institute in form of unsolicited testimony;

“Without the employer discount I don’t think it would have been possible for me to study with IDI” said student James Latham.

Uniquely, IDI’s Employers Discount Scheme is also available to those who are self employed.

“I am part owner in the company, I will personally benefit and my company will also benefit from my newly gained knowledge and its implementation into our company” said student Josh Grindal.

For several years now The Interactive Design Institute’s online learning courses have enabled students to combine their studies with other commitments, such as family obligations or work related issues. IDI students can study flexibly, at times which suit them, and can combine their studies with full or part time employment.

This latest initiative from IDI, The Employers Discount Scheme, is straightforward, uncomplicated and intended to provide access to an even wider range of prospective students. For every contribution an employer makes towards an employee’s course fees, the Interactive Design Institute will contribute a further 35%. The combined savings for employees are considerable as can be seen from these illustrative examples:

For employers paying the maximum on behalf of their employees, the fees are broken down as follows:

For Higher Education courses, the course fee is £4,000 of which the employer contribution is £2,963 while IDI contributes £1,073. The student pays nothing and therefore saves £4,000.

For Foundation courses, the course fee is £3,000 of which the employer contribution is £2,223 while IDI contributes £778. The student pays nothing and therefore saves £3,000

Naturally, the admissions team at IDI is excited about this latest product from an Institute that prides itself on providing high quality educational courses to an ever increasing student market.

Employers who have already taken advantage of the scheme include Bread & Butter Design, Layla Lingerie and Siuin Design.

For more information on individual circumstances, or to make an application through the IDI Employers Discount Scheme, please contact Carolyn Hall on 01875 320 597 or Freephone 0800 917 1118 or by e-mail at: carolyn.hall@idesigni.co.uk.

Via EPR Network
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Online Education A More Attractive Option For Students As Universities Continue Increasing Tuition Fees

The Government’s decision to allow universities in the UK to set their own levels of course fees has had an unexpected knock on effect for providers of distance learning.

As the dust begins to settle on the furore surrounding many universities plans to increase course fees to the maximum level permitted, distance learning organisations look poised to cash in – literally.

Established companies such as the Interactive Design Institute have remained largely unaffected by the scrabble to establish record levels of tuition fees across the UK’s higher education sector. “The cost of providing higher education courses need not be prohibitive” according to Michael Stewart, director at IDI, “Distance learning providers are able to deliver the many of the same courses with the same high levels of student support but at a fraction of the cost”.

For example, universities in Wales are proposing to charge student tuition fees of up to £9,000 per annum after their original applications were rejected by the Higher Education Funding Council. The HEFCW stated that the universities would be required to show that their proposals demonstrated how they would allocate a proportion of the new fee to the promotion of higher education and the encouragement of equality of opportunity.

The cost of the new scheme could result in long term financial difficulties for university level education in Wales.

In England, the fees will be paid directly to the university as a government loan. The university then recoups this loan from students following graduation. However, in Wales the government are planning to cover the increase by providing a grant to fund the difference between the current course fee and the proposed higher fee.

Consequently, 75% of Welsh students will be unaffected by the increase as they will be in receipt of this government grant. The cost to the Welsh Assembly will be in the region of £1.5 billion and this explains why the Welsh Assembly is anxious to ensure the maximum return on this investment.

Some commentators feel that the delivery of higher education requires a major overhaul but in the interim, innovative providers such as the Interactive Design Institute are generating significant enquiries from students seeking other modes of learning.

For these new providers, issues of affordability, flexibility and inclusion can be tackled quickly by re-evaluating the way in which education is delivered. Face to face interaction at an attendance based university is a resource heavy, inflexible and expensive model that requires the provision of an extensive infrastructure.

The physical classroom is no longer the centre of the educational universe, fact recognised by the collaborative partnership between The University of Hertfordshire’s and the Interactive Design Institute.

Distance learning providers such as the Interactive Design Institute deliver their courses to students through an online learning environment where each student has their own studio and can communicate with their tutors and fellow students in a series of dedicated forums.

Via EPR Network
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Los Alamitos Show Choir Explodes Into Audience During Finale of “Hairspray” at the Hollywood Bowl

The third and final performance of “Hairspray” at the Hollywood Bowl was spectacular! An amazing cast was clearly enjoying themselves on stage and during the reprise of “You Can’t Stop the Beat” more than 100 choir students from Los Alamitos High School joined in on the fun. They came running out to dance and sing in the aisles to that catchy tune, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The teens were dressed in bright colored t-shirts, jeans and white tennis shoes and really added to the excitement of the finale.

With less than a week’s notice, Mr. David Moellenkamp, choir director, managed to pull together 100 + kids during the middle of summer vacation to spend 3 days rehearsing and 3 nights performing. “It is just a great way to kick off the year!” exclaimed David Moellenkamp, “these kids have really stepped up and shown themselves to be excellent performers on such short notice.”

Sunday night was extra special as at the last minute the students were informed that they would join the cast on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl for a final bow and photo op. The kids were ecstatic and so grateful to the generosity of the all-star cast in their time. Many of the students got individual photos with stars and lots of hugs and handshakes were exchanged. “It’s hard to top an experience like this” Mr. Moellenkamp stated, “but we will work hard to do just that!”

The Los Alamitos High School choir program boasts five choirs and will have over 280 students enrolled this school year. “Many of our students are involved in multiple choirs”, states David Moellenkamp, “and we have seen the program really expand over the past couple of years.” With a classical, concert choir and four show choirs Mr. Moellenkamp is kept very busy teaching music to high school students. “We are so fortunate to have such a supportive school administration and school district”, cites Lynnette McMahon, Note-ables Booster Club President, “they have kept music in all schools within the district.” Note-ables Booster Club is the parent organization that spearheads fundraising and the runs the logistical side of this creative program. “Although the district is supportive of our efforts, the reality is that they provide less than 2% of our $600k annual budget”, Lynnette McMahon explains, “We are always looking for new and creative ways to raise money to keep this program at the top level and allow more kids to participate.”

In April 2011, Mr. Moellenkamp took two show choirs to New York for a national competition. Sound FX is the advanced mixed show choir and consisted of 54 students who delivered a “Harry Potter” themed performance that was a real crowd pleaser. It was also a favorite of the judges, as they gave Sound FX top honors in music, choreography, costumes, a cappella and first place which named them “National Champions”. The second choir is Soundtrax, advanced all-women show choir with over 50 high school teens who wowed the audience with their “Desperate Housewives” set of song and dance. Soundtrax also swept the awards and were named “National Champions”. Following their national titles won on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, as presented by Show Choir Nationals [www.showchoirnationals.com], Los Alamitos is most definitely a major force in the world of show choirs.

Los Alamitos will present four shows throughout the school year. Their first show will be “Broadway on the Big Screen” and you can be sure “You Can’t Stop the Beat” will have a starring role! The Broadway show will be October 13, 14 and 15, 2011.

Via EPR Network
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Distance learning providers to benefit from university fees controversy

Distance learning providers could be well placed to capitalise on the furore surrounding many universities plans to increase course fees to the maximum level. Established distance learning companies such as the Interactive Design Institute have remained unaffected by the scrabble to establish record levels of tuition fees across the UK’s higher education sector. “The cost of providing higher education courses need not be prohibitive” according to Michael Stewart, director at IDI, “Distance learning providers are able to deliver the same courses with the same high levels of student support but at a fraction of the cost”.

Currently, universities in Wales are desperately revising their proposals to charge student tuition fees of up to £9,000 per annum after their original applications were rejected by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. The HEFCW stated that the universities would be required to allocate a proportion of the new fee to the promotion of higher education and the encouragement of equality of opportunity.

The cost of the new scheme could result in long term financial difficulties for university level education in Wales. In England, the fees will be paid directly to the university as a government loan. The university then recoups this loan from students following graduation. However, in Wales the government are planning to cover the increase by providing a grant to fund the difference between the current course fee and the proposed higher fee. Consequently, 75% of Welsh students will be unaffected by the increase as they will be in receipt of this government grant. The cost to the Welsh Assembly will be in the region of £1.5 billion and this explains why the Welsh Assembly is anxious to ensure the maximum return on this investment.

The Welsh universities have until the end of June to submit their revised plans and a final decision from Higher Education Funding Council for Wales is expected on July 11th. Some commentators feel that the delivery of higher education requires a major overhaul. Issues of affordability, flexibility and inclusion can be tackled quickly by re-evaluating the way in which education is delivered. Face to face interaction at an attendance based university is a resource heavy, inflexible and expensive model that requires the provision of an extensive infrastructure.

The physical classroom is no longer the centre of the educational universe, fact recognised by the collaborative partnership between The University of Hertfordshire’s and the Interactive Design Institute.

Distance learning providers such as the Interactive Design Institute deliver their courses to students through an online learning environment where each student has their own studio and can communicate with their tutors and fellow students in a series of dedicated forums.

And IDI is subject to the same rigorous quality assurance procedures as any institution. “All our courses have been especially developed for online delivery”, states Stewart, “But we are still reviewed annually and our students receive the same qualification as those attending the University of Hertfordshire”.

“What we provide is choice” says Michael Stewart, “We offer our students the opportunity to choose what, when, where and how they study and their learning experience is tailored to meet their needs – online study enables us to be flexible”.

This flexibility means that online study is inclusive; “We pride ourselves in providing the opportunity for everyone to study toward gaining a university degree. If you fulfil the entry requirements, you can study with IDI” says Stewart.

“Because we don’t have to support a massive infrastructure, IDI is able to maintain its course fees at the same level as last year, fees that are already well below those charged by other universities”, says Stewart, “and students who study with us are able to apply for course and fee grants to help with funding”.

Via EPR Network
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Co-operative Revolutionises Green Education

An extensive, multi-channel green education programme that will revolutionise the way young people learn about sustainable and healthy living was unveiled this month by The Co-operative.

From now, all schools are invited to join The Co-operative’s Green Schools Revolution by registering at www.greenschools.coop, which will give them free online access to a wide range of cross-curricular classroom resources and activities, as well as a number of other valuable benefits for the first schools to sign up.

It will give young people the tools to inspire change in their schools, homes and local communities and teachers will have access to materials covering key stages 1 to 4, including lesson plans, topic webs, assembly presentations, classroom activities, debating topics, quizzes and competitions.

Schools will also be able to arrange free visits to The Co-operative’s own wind farm to see renewable energy in action and to one of seven Co-operative Farms to see how food grows and how to cook it. They will also be able to take advantage of support and free materials to set up walking buses at their schools.

In addition, a series of Green Schools Revolution events will take place across the UK from the autumn, including activity days at regional science and discovery centres, funded by The Co-operative.

Written by educational specialists, Green Schools Revolution is available free to all UK schools and incorporates many areas of the national curriculum for 5 to 16 year olds, including science, geography, literacy, citizenship, PSHE, maths, design and technology and art. It also provides valuable opportunities for learning outside the classroom and complements existing Eco Schools and Healthy Schools initiatives to help support schools on their sustainability journey.

Peter Marks, Chief Executive of The Co-operative Group, said: “Green Schools Revolution forms a major part of our £30million drive to inspire young people and is a key part of The Co-operative’s revolutionary Ethical Plan.

Via EPR Network
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Flat Classroom Project Creates Globally Minded Students at Yew Chung International School of Beijing

Once a week, Coco Yu walks into her Year 4 classroom at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing), logs onto a computer and starts communicating with other children her age who are located in schools stretching from England to India.

Yu is one of dozens of students at YCIS Beijing who are participating in a global collaborative project that joins together primary students from around the world via the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies, including Wikispaces and Ning, an online service that allows members to create social networks.

The project is called Flat Classroom. It is part of an emerging trend in internationally aware schools, like YCIS Beijing, that embrace a holistic and full-rounded educational approach to work collaboratively with others around the world in order to create students who are competitive and globally-minded. One of the main goals of the project is to “flatten” or lower the classroom walls so that two or more classes are joined virtually to become one large classroom.

“In Flat Classroom, we work a lot with computers and we go to Wiki, and we type what we do in Beijing. Maybe we Skype, and we talk to other children around the world, for example, we have a school in Mumbai, a school in England and Mill Creek and the US,” Yu, who is 9years old, said.

YCIS Beijing teachers who take part in the program say they can immediately see the perceptions of their students about the world and their place in it change as a result of participation in the project, which incorporates themes and lesson plans from “The World is Flat,” a ground-breaking book authored by the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Students also work collaboratively on projects with their peers located in different schools around the world. On February 21st at 8am, students used Skype to video chat with the primary students and parents at a US primary school who were attending their back-to-school night. It was an exciting link for both primary classes involved who exclaimed cheers when the video connection occurred, followed by a question and answer period that bounced back-and-forth between times zones.

“Of course, students have discovered similarities between themselves and other students located at the other participating schools,” said Primary Year 4 teacher, Heather Davis.

“They also note the differences as well. It is through these similarities and differences that our students have expressed the most learning. They find it fascinating that the same hobbies, food or entertainment enjoyed by them is enjoyed by other students as well. Conversely, they are intrigued by the holidays and traditions of different countries and are surprised when preconceived notions they had about other countries are challenged and clarified with reality.”

The Flat Classroom Project is incorporated mostly during IT time at YCIS Beijing but also crosses over into other subject areas, including English, math, history and Chinese. Students, for example, learn how to correspond in English with their counterparts in different countries or study the history of the countries in which their peers are living.

From February 25 – 27, a special Flat Classroom Conference will be held in Beijing. It will include students and educators discussing the future of education through the integration of technologies, including wikis, blogs, social networking and multi-media storytelling, into learning environments.

About Yew Chung International School Beijing
Located in the scenic Honglingjin Park in the heart of downtown Beijing, Yew Chung International School of Beijing celebrates 15 years of educating students of the city’s expatriate community. YCIS Beijing is a fully accredited school by CIS, NEASC and NCCT, and is part of the Yew Chung Education Foundation with over 5,000 students across campuses in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chongqing, Qingdao and Silicon Valley (USA). Providing Beijing’s expatriate community a quality education across a broad spectrum ranging from early childhood to senior secondary education, the school offers a unique richness and diversity of both Eastern and Western cultures that equip students to be bilingual, academically competitive, caring and globally-minded individuals. For more information, visit www.ycis-bj.com.

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Schools Unite To Form UK’s First Schools Co-operative

More than 100 primary, secondary schools and colleges in England are set to pool resources, expertise and buying power in the first organisation of its kind in the UK – the Schools Co-operative Society (SCS).

The announcement comes at a time when the Government is encouraging greater independence in education as part of major reforms and is designed to help schools help themselves in accordance with co-operative values and principles.

Already registered as a co-operative, the organisation’s governing body is now working on a strategy that will include:
• Sharing best practice in terms of teaching and management.
• Advancing the co-operative cause in the field of education.
• Using combined buying power – estimated at £100 million plus – to purchase a range of goods and services including energy, administrative services.

All the schools and colleges involved employ globally shared co-operative values such as self-help, democracy, equality, honesty and social responsibility both in their governance and in the curriculum. They are part of the Co-operative Schools Programme, one of the community projects which has been run by The Co-operative Group, the UK’s biggest mutual retailer, and the Co-operative College, the Movement’s educational charity, for the last eight years.

Dave Boston, head teacher of Sir Thomas Boughey Co-operative Business and Enterprise College in Newcastle-under-Lyme, has been appointed Chair of the SCS Board.

He explained: “Co-operative values and principles are more relevant than ever at a time when people are being urged to be more independent and less reliant on the state.

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ICS Provides Inclusive Educational Opportunities For Pupils Aged 3 To 18

The International Community School (ICS) in London has been educating children for over a quarter of century. The school uses an international curriculum with aspects of the English National Curriculum and the best of other international programmes. With International Baccalaureate (IB) World School Status in its primary- and middle-years programmes, the school intends to be an IB Diploma School for students at all levels.

The ICS curriculum is strongly focused on teaching English, providing for special educational needs in an inclusive environment and developing an environmental literacy in its students. For parents looking for high-quality IB schools in London, an excellent choice is ICS.

For parents concerned about what kind of autism education UK schools offer, a close look at ICS could be quite rewarding. No matter what the learning disability, the school provides educational opportunities, with individual learning plans tailored to each student’s needs.

IBS offers a Primary Years Programme for three- to eleven-year-olds. This programme uses a holistic approach in teaching mathematics, language, science, social studies, the arts, information technology, as well as personal and social education. For students for whom English is an additional language, the Foundation Courses Primary and Secondary teach English skills and allow the student to be a fully integrated member of the school with parallel classes, as well as individual or small group support. These programmes start at the nursery and reception level and progress through to age twelve.

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Eastern Kentucky University Launches Online Bachelor Of Science In Occupational Safety

- Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is proud to announce the new online Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety Degree Program, with classes starting in January 2011.

EKU’s online Bachelor’s in Occupational Safety arms current safety professionals and those interested in pursuing a safety career with the skills and knowledge to succeed within this evolving industry. The program’s comprehensive curriculum provides students with a solid safety foundation including: OSHA inspections, education and training, workers compensation, and auditing.

The new EKU occupational safety program provides students with relevant, real- world learning applications, from industry-leading faculty members. EKU’s faculty members have many years of safety experience. They incorporate that experience into the courses by directly applying theories to practice. Additionally, the professors use cutting-edge teaching tactics in the courses. For example, they have incorporated videos of construction safety and OSHA inspections into coursework for online students.

“The faculty truly makes this degree program stand out. They give a strong foundation and enhance the curriculum with their industry experiences, which makes our graduates untouchable,” said Program Coordinator, Dr. Michael Schumann.

In addition to the traditional Occupational Safety Curriculum, the EKU Online Bachelor’s in Occupational Safety program offers a minor in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology, which keeps EKU students at the forefront of the safety industry and makes them more valuable candidates to employers. Due to EKU’s strong reputation, employers actively seek EKU graduates to fill safety jobs.

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Eastern Kentucky University Launches Website For The College Of Justice And Safety Online Programs

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), safetymanagement.eku.edu, is proud to announce the launch of a new website hosting all of the online degree programs available through the College of Justice and Safety. The new website will be a resource of information for current and prospective students, as well as industry professionals. Vital information on a suite of online programs including Bachelor’s programs in Fire Protection Administration, Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, and Occupational Safety and a Master’s program in Safety, Security and Emergency Management is presented throughout the website. Working professionals within the fire and safety industries will also benefit from the information on this website, including fire resources, safety resources, and a collection of course videos.

In conjunction with the new website, EKU will also launch social media. Check for updates and current news on:

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/ekuonline
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EKU-College-of-Justice-Safety-Online/170281136295

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The ICMA Centre Ranked 2nd For Employability By The Times Good University Guide

The ICMA Centre has been ranked 2nd for employability by The Times Good University Guide 2011*. This ranking demonstrates the emphasis the Centre places on producing graduates with skills and knowledge of real value to institutions in the financial markets.

Dr Adrian Bell, School Director of Teacher and Learning, said: “We are delighted with our position in the rankings. This reflects the Centre’s excellent links with leading financial institutions in the City, our practical application of finance theory through the use of our extensive dealing room facilities and our dedicated careers service.”

The ICMA Centre’s dedicated Career Development Unit is available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Unit, staffed by industry professionals, not only provide advise on writing CVs, producing effective applications and helping students to find internships but also arrange networking events with alumni and financial institutions.

Martyn Drage, Career Development Manager at the Centre, said: “We have long recognised the importance of career development and have integrated specialist career management assistance into the undergraduate degree with the Career Management Skills module as well as supplementary presentations and workshops led by industry professionals and recruiters. The service we offer adds real value to students and it’s great to see that this is reflected in the rankings for the Centre.”

ICMA Centre BSc alumnus, Gurjit Kaur, said: “I don’t believe I would have learnt nearly as much about the recruitment process, the investment banking industry or even about myself and my suitability to various career paths if it hadn’t been for the Career Management Skills seminars, careers committee meetings and individual careers advisory sessions.”

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Henley Business School Partners With The FT To Offer Free Place On Advanced Management Programme

Henley Business School is working with the FT to offer the chance to win a free place on its Advanced Management Programme (AMP), the value of which is £15,995.

This 3-week course can be taken in one go or over three separate weeks during a year at the business school. As well as the course itself, the bursary that is available to FT readers and visitors to FT.com includes all residential costs and meals on the Henley campus.

Henley’s Advanced Management Programme prepares and develops senior managers to lead in an increasingly uncertain, ambiguous and changing world. It is a challenging learning experience that allies the essential practical and conceptual skills of an MBA with the necessary capabilities to drive and engage people in ways that unlock their potential and leads to better business results. It is an essential building block for those recently appointed to, or about to step up to, an executive leadership role. Full details on the programme can be found at www.henley.com/amp.

Previous AMP participant Tony Short, Vice President Europe, Middle East Africa, Dresser Wayne commented on the programme,

“As I was moving into a new role within the organisation I wanted to develop some extra skills around mergers and acquisitions, fine tuning my strategic thinking. Although I have close links through friends with other business schools it was the name and reputation of Henley which swung it for me. More than anything else it was the construction of the course, the combination of practical experience with learning experience.”

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Students With Special Educational Needs Welcomed At ICS

ICS welcomes applications from children with special educational needs and is passionate about its inclusive approach to international education. ICS focuses on the strengths, abilities and talents of all students. In a highly diverse and inclusive setting, ICS provides a curriculum committed to reflective and purposeful inquiry. When planning, teachers set suitable learning challenges and respond to children’s diverse learning needs. Some students with special educational needs, however, have particular learning and assessment requirements that could need differentiated strategies and support for them to access a full curriculum successfully.

The teachers and the student support department take into account these requirements and make provisions, where necessary, to support individual students and thus enable them to participate effectively in all educational and social activities that take place in the school. Children may have special educational needs throughout, or at any given time during, their school years. ICS has a comprehensive policy that ensures planning, differentiation and modification of teaching and learning strategies for children with special educational needs are implemented by taking into consideration the type and extent of the difficulty experienced by the student.

The school operates an enhanced admissions process for students who are identified as requiring student support. The process operates broadly as follows: A family makes an application to ICS and informs the school, either during the initial phone call or email, at the interview or on the admissions forms, that their child has support needs. Typically, if an offer of a place at the school can be made, the family is invited to meet the director of student support and admissions so the support plan can be outlined and discussed. Once both parties have agreed the support plan and financial implications, the offer of a place at the school is made and the completion of the admissions process is actioned.

ICS offers the three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged 3 to 11; the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16; and from September 2010, the IB Diploma Programme for students aged 16 to 19. It is also one of the preferred Aspergers schools London has to offer students with the condition.

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The ICMA Centre Announces Promotion For Dr Adrian Bell

Dr Bell will be promoted to Professor on 1 October this year. Dr Bell, who has been with the ICMA Centre since 1994, has been instrumental in the development of both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in his role as School Director of Teaching and Learning. He also developed the distance-learning option for the ICMA Centre’s suite of Masters in Finance degrees with the Centre’s New Media Solutions Manager – the first distance learning Masters in Finance degrees in the UK delivered using e-lectures.

Professor John Board, Director of the Centre commented: “This is excellent news both for Dr Bell and for the Centre. It is very well deserved and recognizes the significant contribution Dr Bell has made to the development of the Centre.”

Dr Bell’s primary research interest is in the history of finance and he is currently working on a major project funded by the ESRC with Professor Chris Brooks (Chair in Finance) which will investigate the early and innovative use of credit finance by a succession of English medieval monarchs. This three-year project, which ends this year, is detailed on the ICMA website and builds upon the work the same team carried out during 2004/5 for another ESRC project entitled “Modern Finance in the Middle Ages? Advance Contracts for the Supply of Wool”. For outputs, interested parties can visit the UK Data Archive, study number 5325, at www.data-archive.ac.uk.

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Experience A Celebration Of Diversity With The International Community School

A well-rounded education and dynamic learning experience are what turn young children and teenagers into successful adults. The right choice of school is imperative for a bright future in a chosen academic field.

Many of the quintessential requirements for an educational practice can be found in the London-based International Community School (ICS). ICS is a genuine celebration of diversity – the student body contains more than 65 nationalities. Their international focus helps them stand out from others schools of a similar calibre.

ICS is an independent school that offers English language support. This could be for those with special needs or those struggling to learn the language. All pupils aged between 3 and 18 years old can participate in this programme if required. The passion for inclusion is abundant, as courses like these demonstrate.

Recognised as one of the top IB schools in the country, ICS offers an impressive curriculum. This was designed to have a wide appeal to students of all backgrounds and credentials. A celebration recently took place inside their London walls. The title was ‘International Day’, and the theme – ‘Young People in the 21st Century’. Students participated in various workshops and projects based on the future and the environment.

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) was developed for pupils aged 11 to 16. This is a complex curricular framework that encourages participants to embrace and understand connections between the subject content and the real world. It places a strong emphasis on the development of reflective thinking skills. The MYP contains 8 subjects and requires all students to participate in the community and service schemes. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging and appreciation.

The Primary Years Program is a good resource for the development of primary life skills. This is for the younger students aged between 3 and 11 years old. The focus is on real life issues, as well as more traditional subjects such as language, mathematics, the arts and social studies.

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Henley Business School Appoints Professor Board, ICMA Centre Director, As Its New Dean

Henley Business School has announced that Professor John Board will become its new dean from 1 October 2010.

Professor Board is currently director of the ICMA Centre – the business school for financial markets at Henley Business School.

Professor Board is an outstanding academic in his own right with a strong track record in research, his expertise is sought in a number of areas including market regulation, transparency, derivatives and emerging markets.

Over the past five years, Professor Board has helped to build the ICMA Centre into one of the largest specialist education finance schools in Europe, with an international reputation for undergraduate, postgraduate (including eight Finance Masters) and executive education.

He has also been instrumental in the development of a range of specialist finance degrees including the MSc Capital Markets, Regulation and Compliance and the MSc Investment Banking and Islamic finance, which were both firsts in the UK.

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Henley Business School and Lane4 Develop Business Coaching Programme

New research from Henley Business School and the performance development consultancy Lane4 has highlighted how team coaching is being used successfully to improve business performance – but also how much further it has to go.

The survey, ‘Coaching Teams At Work: Embryonic Yet Powerful’, reveals that almost half of the organisations surveyed (45%) use both individual and team coaching and there are some glowing endorsements of the impact it has. The top benefit is increased employee engagement at 28%. Other benefits include improved trust within the team (22%), increased productivity (19%) and more effective and innovative solutions (18%).

However, more than half the organisations surveyed don’t use team coaching, for four main reasons: managers haven’t had any training in team coaching (32%), managers don’t understand the benefits of team coaching (31%), managers don’t feel confident coaching their teams (25%) and some feel their teams object to being coached (13%).

Dr Patricia Bossons, director of the Henley Centre for Coaching & Facilitation, said that this can be overcome: “Managers sometimes perceive coaching to be something done by people outside the business to people inside the business – just as in sports’ coaching where the coach is not normally a player as well. In business however, managers are now required to be player-coaches – a role many have not received training for – this is something we need to address if the obvious benefits of team coaching are to be more widely felt.”

To address these issues and make the powerful benefits of team coaching in a business context more accessible Henley Business School and Lane4 have developed, and will deliver, a new programme, Coaching High Performance Teams, from October 2010. The partnership will leverage the two organisations’ combined academic rigour and experience of coaching teams in a business environment as well as Lane4’s heritage in Olympic sport and expertise in performance psychology.

Via EPR Network
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Henley Business School Reveals Ideal Leadership Qualities

Henley Business School has released a collaborative paper from five leading academics who offer their individual perspectives on the emerging task for business leaders in particular.

Henley Business School Reveals Ideal Leadership Qualities

This second series of essays, following on from the 2009 ‘Henley Manifesto’ on leadership, focuses specifically on the emerging leadership task, post-recession. The series was written independently by five academics; Professor Chris Bones, Dean of Henley Business School, Professor Dominic Swords, Professor John Board, Director of the ICMA Centre, Professor Brian Scott-Quinn and Professor Peter Hawkins, Professor of Leadership.

There are several common themes that emerge from each writer’s contribution to the paper. One of these themes is the belief that there will be a renewed emphasis on sincere, genuine, transparent, values-based leadership should This means the leader needs to empathise with values that reflect the priorities of all the stakeholders; employees, shareholders, community and society at large.

There should be a collaborative nature to leadership with the recognition that one person does not and should not hold all the answers or power. There is a need for robust governance and this should be backed by corporate structures that enforce that governance.

Via EPR Network
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International Community School Offers Global Education with IB Diploma Programme

The International Community School hosts students of more than 65 different nationalities from all over the world. Keeping to its commitment of creating global citizens, it now also offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, among other curriculums. This international learning community offers an exhaustive academic environment for 3 to 18-year-old students.

Students can begin the IB programme from a young age. For those interested in starting right at the beginning, ICS offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP). The school’s courses are designed to build upon the skills and international understanding gained by students in the IB Middle Years Programme (IB MYP). The courses are designed to create students with inquiring minds and who are committed learners. Teachers reinforce the attributes of the IB Learner Profile: to be inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers and to be knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, balanced and reflective.

The IB curriculum teaches your child to look beyond just knowledge. It encourages your child to be more than just another student in the classroom. The degree examines different ways of knowing – perception, emotion, language and reason – and different kinds of knowledge – scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical. It is usually a two-year programme, designed to equip students with academic and life skills. It is also recognised by the world’s leading universities. Students between the ages of 16 and 19 study six courses: three at a higher level and three at a standard level. Besides class assessments, students also take written examinations at the end of the programme.

Via EPR Network
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Increased Demand for International Baccalaureate Diploma in South Asia

The number of students from the countries of southern Asia that arrive in the United Kingdom for their schooling each year is on the rise. The increasing popularity of a British education and the increasing allure of private schooling in the United Kingdom has resulted in a significant rise in the number of students deciding to go to the country each year. Most of the students that choose to study in the United Kingdom are from either China, South Korea, Taiwan or Japan.

Increased Demand for International Baccalaureate Diploma in South Asia<br />

A recent survey of private schools in the United Kingdom indicates that Chinese students form the largest international groups in most boarding schools. There are over 50 schools across China that now offer courses designed by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. “I went to a well-reputed IB school in Beijing, where I completed my Middle Years Programme. My parents had promised to send me to the United Kingdom in order to complete my schooling and continue my further education there if I earned good grades. I kept my side of the bargain and my parents kept theirs. So, this September, I will be travelling to the United Kingdom in order to begin my IB diploma course at a private school in London”, says 16 year old Zhu Hiyang, with a bright smile on her face.

There are many students just like Zhu Hiyang who will be making a relatively easy transition from life in a Chinese school to life in a British private school this very year. Their host school will offer the strict IB curriculum that places high importance on the quality of teaching and the quality of the courses that are taught. Attaining an IB Diploma has become to schooling what obtaining an Oxford degree means at the university level. Most of the students who perform well at the IB diploma level find it much easier to cope with the rigorous demands of a university education in the United Kingdom.

Trends show that most students from South Asia which choose to move to the United Kingdom for their higher studies seek admission to an Independent school London. Admission to an IB Diploma Residential London school ensures that the students not only receive a world-class education, but they also get to live in one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world.

Via EPR Network
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