Tower Hamlets EBP - Latest News

To read a selection of our latest news stories, please use the links below:

Students Check In For Extra Business Lessons (1st August 2008)
News Bulletin Announces New Employment Programme (18th July 2008)
Talking Tales Celebrate National Year Of Reading (18th July 2008)
Following In The Footsteps Of The Speaker (15th July 2008)
Pupils Learn To Manage Money With The FSA (12th July 2008)
Old Ford's Room 13 Experience With BlackRock (11th July 2008)
Term Dates 2008-2009 & 2009-2010

If you are involved in any of our programmes and would like to add an event to this page, please email info@thebp.co.uk

Students Check In For Extra Business Lessons (1st August 2008)

Tower Hamlets students showed they were keen to get a head start on their careers when they gave up a week of their summer holiday to enrol for extra lessons.

More than 100 young people are taking part in the annual Summer Business School, run at the City Cass Business School, by education charity, Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (EBP).

There are two courses, each running for one-week. The first (28-31 July) was attended by 25 Year 8 and 9 pupils drawn mainly from Bow, Mulberry and Swanlea schools. They took part in a series of activities around enterprise skills such as team working, communication, leadership, planning and time management before setting up a mock company to design and market a product.

The second course, which runs from 4-8 August, will see more than 80 students aged 15+ from across the borough undertake a similar exercise but this time, they will be producing real goods that they will sell at investment bank, Merrill Lynch, later in the week.

Many of those attending the summer schools are studying enterprise as part of the award-winning Merrill Lynch Enterprise & Entrepreneurship (MLEE) programme, launched in three Tower Hamlets schools in 2005 and managed by the EBP. The Summer School was a chance to add to their knowledge as Adam Boodle, a Year 9 student at Bow School confirmed. "We could choose to come on this course and I really wanted to do this as I've enjoyed what we have been doing back at school. I want to join the RAF and eventually, I want to become a commercial pilot."

News Bulletin Announces New Employment Programme (18th July 2008)

Students from Stepney Green School delivered the latest news headlines and set up a mock production company as part of an enterprise project that asked them to bid to run a television news programme aimed at young people.

Alongside them, to offer support, were 18 new graduate interns at investment bank, Dresdner Kleinwort.

The Year 9 boys took part in the workshop, organised by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (EBP), as part of a pilot programme called Passport to Employment. As well as devising a two-minute news bulletin, each team had to accommodate breaking news stories, work out the costs of making their programme and attract sponsorship.

The winning team named their production company I-News and their bulletin was concise and humorous. Dresdner Kleinwort volunteer Saad Farooq, who spent the morning helping the students, said: "It's been very interesting. The boys all had different ideas but they worked well together and didn't speak over one another."

Passport to Employment is funded by Tower Hamlets Council's 14-19 partnership. It focuses on students' employment-related skills and knowledge of the business world to give them the best possible start in their future careers. A computerised assessment programme audits the participants' competence and knowledge of various business-related skills such as planning and organisation, team working, presenting, communication, CV-writing, job interviews. Students then take part in a series of workshops and activities to address these. Their progress is tracked and recorded on-line throughout the programme. At the end, each student has a portfolio of evidence that can be used when applying for jobs, college or university.

Imdadur Rahman who manages the programme at Tower Hamlets EBP said: "Passport to Employment differs from other employability skills projects in the borough in that we are measuring the students' soft employability skills as they progress through the scheme. It is a flexible programme that can be adapted to suit their needs and encourages them to think about their futures and their career plans."

Stepney Green, Central Foundation Girls' and Oaklands schools have all taken part in the pilot scheme which will be offered to a number of the borough's secondary schools next academic year.

Talking Tales Celebrate National Year Of Reading (18th July 2008)

Pupils from Holy Family Primary School were at the Financial Services Authority (FSA) earlier this week (15 July) for a story telling session to help celebrate the National Year of Reading which runs until 31 December.

Volunteers from the FSA are weekly visitors to the school in Wade's Place, South Poplar where they help some of the children with their reading as part of the Reading Partners scheme, organised by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (EBP).

Pupils from Years 2 to 6 travelled to the FSA's Canary Wharf offices to spend an hour with professional storyteller, Kevin Graal from Talking Tales. He entertained and involved them in an interactive session based on riddles and oral traditions from around the world.

Afterwards, it was the turn of Year 7 students from Bishop Challoner Collegiate Girls School to enjoy a similar session. FSA volunteers also assist these students with their reading.

Nearly 2,000 business volunteers from City and Canary Wharf companies are Reading Partners in Tower Hamlets schools. Earlier this term, the EBP devised and circulated a literary quiz to all of them to work on with their student readers. Ten winning pupils each received a prize of a £10 gift voucher.

Following In The Footsteps Of The Speaker (15th July 2008)

The traditional visit to the Palace of Westminster by the finalists in the Tower Hamlets Public Speaking Competition, took place last week and was hosted by Jim Fitzpatrick, MP.

Four of the finalists, including winner, Star Ojo from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School, were joined by Mildred Gordon, the competition's founder, and representatives from Lloyd's of London, the sponsors and ACE who hosted the heats. Hannah Jackson, who ran the public speaking workshops, and members of the EBP team also attended.

The visitors toured the building, following the 'Line of Route' taken by the Queen's procession at the State Opening of Parliament. This was followed by lunch in one of the dining rooms.

Topics over the lunch table ranged from community cohesion - the subject on which the students had been asked to base their speeches for the competition - to politics, MPs work and pay and what previous winners had gone on to achieve.

There was also time for a quick stop at the souvenir shop before the students returned home.

Pupils Learn To Manage Money With The FSA (12th July 2008)

Learning how to manage money is the key focus of a new programme for pupils at Woolmore Primary School with help from volunteers at the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Piloted this year, the financial literacy project, worked with a class of Year 5 pupils on a series of activities, both at the children's school on the Isle of Dogs and at the FSA's Canary Wharf offices. There was also a visit to the Bank of England museum.

To complete the first year of the initiative, the pupils were at the FSA (8 July) for a maths workshop with the popular CBBC Education presenter, Mr Numbervator.
This was followed by a budgeting session where they had to plan a visit to the park on an allowance of £5.00.

Explaining how he had accounted for his money, Woolmore pupil Mubin Ahmed said: "After the bus fare and the boat ride, I bought an orange lolly and a kite. I had £1.50 left over and I will save it. You could have saved more by walking to the park instead of going on the bus."

FSA volunteers already support children with their maths as Number Partners, through Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, but the financial literacy scheme is a new development. Kim Oakes from the FSA's community affairs team, said: "This is a two-year programme which follows the children through the last two years of their primary education and we will be continuing next year with the same children. Both the pupils and the volunteers really enjoy the sessions and we can already see encouraging results."

Old Ford's Room 13 Experience With BlackRock (11th July 2008)

Pupils as young as six from Old Ford Primary School, Bow were in the City, this week (10 July), to sell the artwork they have created in an exciting new project.

Room 13 is a network of art studios, in schools, run by the pupils themselves as a business unit. The space gives children free reign to their artistic talent and access to an artist in residence.

Benaifer Patell at investment company, BlackRock was instrumental in getting a pilot project up and running at Old Ford for 36 Gifted and Talented pupils. She said: "I heard about Room 13 and discussed it with my colleagues. We thought it sounded really interesting so we approached Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, with whom we already had links, to see if they could find us a suitable school.

The art sessions ran for nine days, over a three week period, during which time the children could discuss their ideas with artist in residence, Joanna Hill, but were free to create whatever they wanted to. Their visuals were transferred on to greetings cards and post cards that they sold to BlackRock employees in the firm's canteen.

First, they had to give a presentation about their involvement in the Room 13 project to BlackRock trustees. "I was so scared," admitted six year-old Stella Benjamin, the youngest pupil involved in the initiative.

When it came to selling their wares at lunchtime, there was no stopping the children. They managed to sell £900 worth of goods and, true to the Room 13 concept, they all took roles in setting up the display, selling, keeping a note of their sales, manning the till and clearing away.

The school is now hoping that it can raise sufficient funds to have a permanent Room 13. Old Ford's Deputy Head, Natalie Creed said: "On our School Improvement Plan, we needed to introduce enterprising behaviour and a broad and balanced curriculum. This project ticked all those boxes plus it gave us the chance to offer an opportunity for our motivated achievers to explore their talents."

Term Dates 2008/2009 & 2009/2010

Term Dates 2008 / 2009
Start	Half Term	End
WINTER TERM Monday 1st September 08	27th - 31st October 08	Friday 19th December 08
SPRING TERM Monday 5th January 09	16th - 20th February 09	Friday 3rd April 09
SUMMER TERM Monday 20th April 09	25th - 29th May 09	Wednesday 22nd July 09
Term Dates 2009 / 2010
Start	Half Term	End
WINTER TERM Tuesday 1st September 09	26th - 30th October 09	Friday 18th December 09
SPRING TERM Monday 4th January 10	15th - 19th February 10	Thursday 1st April 10
SUMMER TERM Monday 19th April 10	31st May - 4th June 10	Friday 23rd July 10

* Please note that these term dates are guidelines issued by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Some schools may vary these dates slightly.