It’s been an exciting, sometimes challenging, but ultimately inspiring ten years and I am very proud of all that we have achieved.

We have learnt so much as we have grown from our early beginnings as a stand-alone charity, into the multi award-winning organisation which we are today. As with any organisation, there have been many challenges along the way – none more so than in the recent years as we have navigated Covid-19. Throughout it all, the passion and enthusiasm of our colleagues has shone through.

Our dedicated teachers work with around 32,000 children every week.  We support school leaders and their teams, across the City and beyond with a variety of courses and consultancy services – in recent years we have even delivered internationally. We’ve received awards, featured on television, worked with celebrities and world-renowned musicians; we’ve performed in beautiful venues and have been invited to some fantastic events.

But really, what makes this job so worthwhile is seeing the positive impact we have on children’s, young people and adults’ lives. We are so grateful for the dedication and commitment of those who serve and have served as our Trustees, and for the different organisations who generously contribute to the funding of our activities, including Arts Council England.

Here’s to another 10 fantastic years.

Sharon Bell

Chief Executive

Click on the hotspots below to find out a little more about some of Services For Education’s highlights over the last ten years!

Picture of two children cooking with their teacher. Symbolises the Health For Life Programme
Children next to some lovely vegetables. Representing Health For Life Programme

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Kirsty Jones, was appointed earlier this year as our new Head of School Support 

Kirsty Jones

Kirsty joins Services For Education with 20-years’ experience in school leadership spanning mainstream, special schools and alternative provision settings working with schools with both disadvantaged children and high attaining pupils.

We also welcome Martin Hall to our Board of Trustees

Martin has 33 years in the corporate insurance broking sector and now runs a consultancy which works directly with clients to leverage their broker/insurer relationships.  Martin sits on the board of small tech based businesses and advises groups of niche businesses on new and creative ways to insure themselves and their peers.  Martin is also Chair of Governors for a Primary School and an Enterprise Adviser to secondary schools in Tamworth.

At Services For Education, we take pride in only hiring the very best people for our team, many of whom have previous experience as teachers, headteachers, senior leaders and governors. Find out more about our wonderful team below.

 

Our  media booklet is best viewed in full screen mode. Hover over the booklet and click the View in Full Screen button in the bottom right corner.

Kirsty Jones, was appointed earlier this year as our new Head of School Support 

Kirsty Jones

Kirsty joins Services For Education with 20-years’ experience in school leadership spanning mainstream, special schools and alternative provision settings working with schools with both disadvantaged children and high attaining pupils.

We also welcome Martin Hall to our Board of Trustees

Martin has 33 years in the corporate insurance broking sector and now runs a consultancy which works directly with clients to leverage their broker/insurer relationships.  Martin sits on the board of small tech based businesses and advises groups of niche businesses on new and creative ways to insure themselves and their peers.  Martin is also Chair of Governors for a Primary School and an Enterprise Adviser to secondary schools in Tamworth.

SFE were invited to talk to BBC WM about World Menopause Day and the importance of having a menopause policy.

 

Recognising the need to deal with an issue that “is a fact of life and affects every woman but is frequently regarded as a taboo subject” has led to a new approach being introduced by a Birmingham charity to support its staff.

Services For Education is amongst the first employers in the UK to introduce a menopause policy to raise awareness around this issue and promote a positive culture of support. The new policy came into effect last month (September 1, 2021). Now, the charity – which brings music and learning to life and supports thousands of children and adults in Birmingham and employs more than 200 – is hoping that other employers in Birmingham and the West Midlands will follow suit.

“The menopause policy is designed to assist our staff as they go through this period in their life – as well as demonstrate how we expect managers to behave in response to the typical signs and symptoms of those who may be experiencing difficulties during the menopause,” said Sharon Bell, Chief Executive of Services For Education.

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The biggest ever Youth Proms in Birmingham returns to the stage – after two-years online from the 17th July for five nights our Youth Proms returned to the Symphony Hall after a two year break caused by the pandemic. 

Four thousand Birmingham children will return to the stage over five-nights after an enforced break of two years in what is promised to be the biggest ever Youth Proms the city has ever seen.

We are also delighted to be able to welcome course delegates back to our training space at Holt Court this year. Our courses are now a mixture of face to face and online – take a look at what we have to offer: Download our 2022-2023 prospectus here.

The biggest ever Youth Proms in Birmingham returned to the stage after two years of online performances, caused by the pandemic. 

Four thousand Birmingham children returned to the stage over five-nights after an enforced break of two years in what was the biggest ever Youth Proms the city had ever seen.

We were also delighted to be able to welcome course delegates back to our training space at Holt Court this year. Our courses are now a mixture of face to face and online – take a look at what we have to offer:

 

Our prospectus is best viewed in full screen mode. Hover over the prospectus and click the View in Full Screen button in the bottom right corner.

Download our 2022-2023 prospectus here.

Services For Education, in conjunction with Mondelez International are proud to be celebrating a milestone achievement.

Health for Life in Primary Schools, an award-winning programme working with schools across Birmingham, has entered its 10th YEAR!

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Our own SFE Green Week in July 2022 established a benchmark, particularly focusing on our carbon emissions generated from delivering our services.

We are acutely aware that delivering across Birmingham and beyond has an impact – but now with data collected as at July 2022, we can make a comparison at the same point in 2023.

The mileage factor has been a key consideration in our timetabling for 2022/23 (as we seek to reduce cross City journeys), and we have been asking our customers to support this by incentivising them to place their orders earlier.

 

Of course, our impact on the planet is about much more than mileage – we are considering the location of large-scale training events to ensure good public transport options, our supply network, and in time our disposal of assets.

We have recently introduced a Cycle to Work scheme, knowing that some colleagues have been looking at how to build this form of travel into their week.

There is much to be done, but as we look forward at Services For Education, we want the sustainability agenda to be a key part of our thinking from the outset – and we look forward to developing the conversation with our customers and suppliers.

Five new inclusive choirs “born out of the pandemic” launch in-person in the West Midlands

In December 2020 national charity Soundabout and Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) launched a brand new inclusive choir for children and young people under the age of 25, living across the West Midlands, and partnered with music hubs across the region, including Services For Education, to attract participants.  Their aim was to focus on removing barriers from those with severe and profound learning disabilities being able to participate musically.

This work served as a catalyst for the five music hubs based in the West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Solihull and Worcestershire) to set up their own inclusive choirs and since September 2021, Services For Education has led the Birmingham Inclusive Choir, offering a forum for children and young people (up to 25 years) living with learning disabilities to:

  • develop their musical skills and experience;
  • alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation through regular shared activity;
  • perform, feel part of a community and feel a sense of self-worth;
  • enhance their physical and mental wellbeing through group singing and music activities.

If you would like to support our Inclusive Choirs then please donate.

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Page Last Modified:  03/01/2024 14:19