Sponsors sign up for Educate Awards 2014

With people able to nominate their schools and teachers for the 2014 annual awards, Educate Magazine is thrilled to announce that five sponsors, are already confirmed.

Connex Education and The Apprenticeship Hub are sharing title sponsorship of the event, and will bring with them a wealth of experience, understanding and passion for innovative education worth celebrating.

New title sponsors, The Apprenticeship Hub, are a partnership of six local authorities dedicated to providing working apprenticeships for young people in Greater Merseyside who are looking to pursue vocational avenues.

Meanwhile, Connex Education, are returning as sponsors for the Educate Awards and the prestigious Teacher of the Year award. Connex are leading providers of supply staff, and specialise in recruiting and placing qualified teachers in primary, secondary and SEN schools. CEO Mark Beedles, an advocate of celebrating high teaching standards, says: “As an organisation that works closely with many schools within Merseyside, we feel strongly of the importance of recognising achievement.

Excitingly, Carillion PLC, The Design Foundry and GMLPF are also reprising their role as awards sponsors, supporting the Eco Project of the Year, Communication and Career Aspiration awards, respectively.

Carillion PLC, an integrated support organisation, are outspoken about the importance of sustainability, protecting the environment and enabling low-carbon economies, and have provided ‘energy makeovers’ for schools throughout the UK. They have elected to support the Eco Project of the Year award to further encourage and reward this eco-positive attitude so readily seen in Merseyside schools.

GMLPF, who also sponsored the award last year, offer free support services to schools that want to raise awareness of apprenticeships among their pupils.

CEO James Glendenning, who last year presented the award to Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School, says: “Careers advice and guidance in schools is such a crucial aspect of children’s education.

“Schools are in a unique position to provide their pupils with the right information about careers and promising
“ Schools are already approaching careers advice in new and exciting ways and we look forward to more schools raising awareness of apprenticeships as a valid route into a career alongside other more academic routes.”

The Design Foundry are also experts in their sponsored category and have previously worked with numerous schools and colleges.

As a PR and design agency they understand the value of strong marketing and communication. In their work, the company develop active engagement between schools’, teachers, parents and the community at large, and as such see first hand the benefit of clear, creative communication.

Fiona Barnet, the company’s director, says: “Whether it’s through innovative use of digital media, developing public speaking skills, or simply putting an imaginative twist on traditional methods like coffee mornings, good communication in schools is essential.

“To be given the opportunity to celebrate and encourage those schools going the extra mile to ensure their children’s communication skills are challenged and encouraged is really wonderful.”

Executive editor of Educate Magazine, Kim O’Brien commented: “We are very lucky with our sponsors, as they have always been esteemed representatives of the categories they’ve supported. This year is no different, and we are delighted to be working alongside organisations that have invested in all areas of education, and truly want to celebrate those schools and individuals who excel within them.

“We have only just begun preparation for the 2014 awards, and we are already optimistic that these will be the biggest and best Educate Awards yet.”