NEW GUIDELINES PUBLISHED FOR BUSINESSES TO REDUCE PRIMARY EDUCATION ‘BLIND SPOT’
Prudential UK, Business in the Community (BITC), and the CBI have collaborated to produce new guidelines for businesses to help increase their involvement with the primary education sector.
The report, Principles & Practices for Primary Engagement, acknowledges that businesses of all sizes working closely with schools can make a significant difference to pupil attainment levels, while having a positive impact on both the schools and teachers. There are also further valuable benefits to businesses including employee development and engagement opportunities, the building of stronger links with the local community and helping to meet future employment demands.
Drawing on research undertaken with teachers and schools and in consultation with businesses, the report is structured around five principles which set out a range of approaches businesses can take to build partnerships with primary schools.
Paul Drechsler CBE, CBI President, said: “We know that inspiring primary age children through good education can help change their lives. Raising their aspirations and showing them a wider world of possibilities lays the groundwork for their success and underpins our long-term economic prosperity.
“Shaping children’s futures is a shared challenge that we must all grasp and many businesses are already playing their part to offer inspirational experiences in and beyond the school gates.
“Primary schools have in the past been a business blind spot, but it’s encouraging that toolkits like this are giving businesses a pathway to make primary schools one of their primary focuses.”
Eleanor Turner, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Prudential UK & Europe, said: “As BITC National Champion for Primary Engagement, Prudential UK is committed to helping young people gain the essential life skills needed to succeed and we recognise that the earlier in life we do this the better.
“We are delighted to have led the publication of this timely report in collaboration with BITC and the CBI. We hope other UK businesses refer to and apply the five principles set out in the report for the mutual benefit of their organisations, schools and the young people they work with.”
Susie Perrett, Director of Education, Business in the Community said: “This open-source report has been a collaborative response led by Prudential UK, who are a member of our Education Leadership Team.
“By providing practical advice and guidance this report will support employers in building sustainable partnerships with primary schools, which in turn will enable young people, regardless of social background, build successful working lives.”
Copies of Principles & Practices for Primary Engagement are available to download, free of charge, from BITC’s website.
