July 2012

The know zone

  • Water-tight contracts
    Along with greater freedom and independence, schools also now have the huge responsibility of procuring the services of reliable contractors. Schools and colleges need to have their wits about them as Richard Bird explains More
  • Rate of return
    How do you convert time into money? Sam Ellis explains the many complexities of this question and looks at how schools can get value for money when deploying their staff. More
  • Lead vocals
    Quotes from Michael Jordan, Michaelangelo, Audrey Hepburn, Carl Sagan and Thomas Fuller More
  • Fame academy
    Vic Goddard is principal of Passmores Academy in Harlow, which is the school featured in Channel 4’s BAFTA-nominated documentary series, Educating Essex. More
  • Summing up
    Aviva’s Paying for It scheme gets students thinking about finances – their own and the nation’s. More
  • Adding value
    ASCL members can save money More
  • Fishing for staff?
    What is the most effective way to recruit and retain the best graduates as teachers? The parliamentary Education Select Committee has put forward its own ideas, ranging from higher pay and performance bonuses to sabbatical scholarships and a Royal College of Teaching. Here, leaders share their own views. More
  • Leaders' surgery
    Exams: Double the trouble? and Are exclusions a 'fine' thing More
  • A slippery slope?
    Struggling schools need the best heads to turn them around. But the fear of being sacked if they do not succeed quickly is deterring outstanding leaders from taking on these tough roles and undermining attempts to tackle social mobility, says Brian Lightman. More
  • Skirting the issue
    Long-serving heads will have particular targets in mind as retirement approaches. Going before you’re pushed is clearly crucial. After that, it’s all about the legacy you will leave, says Dennis Richards. More
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Summing up

Aviva’s Paying for It scheme gets students thinking about finances – their own and the nation’s.

 

What is Paying for It?

It’s a financial education programme for secondary school students, created jointly by Aviva and the youth education charity Citizenship Foundation.

What resources does it provide to schools and colleges?

The programme is modular and aims to help young people to develop their economic awareness by exploring the relationship between the economy, government and society. There are lesson plans, accredited by the Personal Financial Education Group (pfeg), supporting materials and teacher training. Schools complete a series of sessions, choosing which modules are appropriate for their students.

Do Aviva staff play a part?

Yes. Paying for It includes a volunteer scheme placing Aviva employees into local secondary schools to facilitate teaching and learning using the programme resources.

What is Chance to be Chancellor?

It’s a national competition for 14 to 18 year-olds and provides a focal point for Paying for It. Working online, students go through the process of making policy choices, just as the Chancellor of the Exchequer does in real life.

They examine ten areas of the national budget – three in tax and seven in public spending – and put forward a policy option for each one, justifying their decisions. They are then presented with a summary of their overall budget, how it compares with the Chancellor’s version, and the potential consequences of their choices.

What did students propose for 2012?

This year 1,175 14 to 18-yearolds across the UK took part. One of their conclusions was that the government should tax more and spend less in order to reduce the deficit. They also recommended investing more in schools and green technology but spending less on health, defence and policing. The full Youth Budget can be downloaded at www.youthbudget.org.uk

Are there prizes on offer?

Yes. Besides sharing their opinions on budgetary matters, students had the chance to submit a case arguing their own choices and explaining the decisions they had made. The prize was an iPad and the title Face of Youth Budget 2012. This year’s winner was Isaac Warburton (above) from Ken Stimpson Community School in Peterborough, who presented the Youth Budget 2012 to David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.

Is there a website?

It’s www.payingforit.org.uk which contains all of the modules plus additional lesson plans which are free to download to further widen the reach of the programme. Some 3,500 teachers are currently registered on the site.

Find out more

For more information on the Paying for It programme, including Chance to be Chancellor and the Youth Budget, contact Robert Geddis, Citizenship Foundation, at robert.geddis@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk or go to www.payingforit.org.uk

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