Rotherham Ready, the original and flagship programme from Rotherham Metropolitan Bourough Council, has been internationally acclaimed and the town was crowned ‘The Most Enterprising Place in Britain’ in 2010. The programme team are now making the training that has helped the programme and its participants flourish available to teachers across the country.

The ‘Inspire Primary Enterprise Pioneers’ training for primary school teachers and Head Teachers is taking place initially in London on 22^nd May and Manchester on 26^th September. Please visit http://www.areyouready.org.uk/inspire/ to find out more.

The VSC recently met with the team behind an award winning enterprise education programme that is transforming the skills and aspirations of young people in deprived communities. The team is now taking its message to a national audience.

‘Are You Ready?’ works with education, business and the community to create a culture of enterprise in education and inspire young people about learning and life.

The programme is based on the internationally acclaimed 4-19 borough wide enterprise education programme, Rotherham Ready, developed by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, which has some of the most deprived wards in the country.

By working with teachers to develop enterprise learning opportunities for children as soon as they start school, the town has seen young people’s attitudes, aspirations and achievements transform. The approach has been so successful that new programmes have got underway in Hull, Calderdale, Scarborough, North Lincolnshire and most recently, Derbyshire.

A key element of the programme is a one day professional development experience for teachers and school leaders to explore how to develop more enterprising curricula and empower children to be entrepreneurial in school.

Now the training, ‘Inspire Primary Enterprise Pioneers,’ is being delivered in new areas to develop local networks of schools that want to harness enterprise as a vehicle for motivating learners and improving schools.

Joyce Thacker, Strategic Director for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s Children and Young People’s Services said: “As an authority we recognise that ‘enterprise’ must be at the heart of what we do and how we prepare our children to take on the future with confidence. Young people face unprecedented challenge, but Rotherham Ready has made enterprise a transformational force across the borough, engaging pupils, energising teachers and fostering new links between education, business and the community.”

The ‘Inspire Primary Enterprise Pioneers’ training for primary school teachers and Head Teachers is taking place initially in London on 22^nd May and Manchester on 26^th September. Delegates can get a 10% discount for London by booking before 31^st March. Please visit http://www.areyouready.org.uk/inspire/

Downloads and resources relating to the programme are available from http://www.areyouready.org.uk/resources/

The third and last Summit will take place on 28-30 May 2012. It will be the third opportunity for school superintendents and other top level school leaders to meet and learn more about global trends and changes in school policy worldwide and draw conclusions for school improvement together with researchers.

Continuing themes from 2008 and 2010 – leadership in change, globalisation, systems for assessment and follow-up, evidence based school improvement and research as driving forces for change. This year, also added is the responsibility to know and learn about the conditions for learning. Therefore, there will be the opportunity to share the latest developments in brain research. One of the leading researchers in this area, Dr Martin Ingvar will be attending.

There will be seminars and speed networking sessions, and a social programme and the venue is the Hotel Hilton.

For more information, visit www.stockholmsummit.se