2012 is only a couple of weeks old, but it’s already shaping up as a busy year for the Think Again team. We had a brilliant day in Derbyshire, working with inspirational heads, school leaders and teachers in one of our “Communication for School Leaders” training days. Although we host regular events at venues around the country, we can also do bespoke training for your school, cluster or conference.
It’s always a delight to work with forward-thinking educators, and their feedback to us was both gratifying and very useful.

Among our favourite comments:

“Very inspirational – I have learnt so much that I feel is transferable to my work as a leader in education.”

“Excellent and probably essential for senior leaders in school.”

We were particularly pleased at how many of the delegates said it was refreshing to have training from professionals from outside the usual spheres of education and learning.

We’ll be posting a short video from the day here soon, and some more exciting news about upcoming Think Again projects in Sweden and Spain.

Here at Think Again Towers we’re celebrating the fact that when it comes to portfolio careers, we are living the dream.

We believe strongly that people should follow their passions personally and professionally. Which is why we’re currently involved in a really eclectic mix of projects.

Top of the list is our revolutionary training programme for head teachers and senior leaders in schools, Think Again Education, led by the global force in learning and innovation, Richard Gerver. We’ve had interest from around the UK, as well as a number of approaches from Europe and beyond and will be working with visionary educators determined to make a real difference.

With youth unemployment at an all time high, and the global economy showing few signs of a lasting recovery, creating education systems that are genuinely fit for purpose has never been more important. It’s no good continuing to educate and train young people for jobs that no longer exist. Children need new skills and new capabilities, and the best schools and the best teachers recognise this. Young people need to be infinitely flexible in their approach to work. Let’s stop talking negatively about young people who don’t have jobs and elevate them to the status of innovators and entrepreneurs. Given the right skills and the right conditions, working in partnership with business and industry, they can aspire to create their own jobs. Aspiration and ambition. That’s what Think Again Education is all about.

Our founding director, Marc Jaffrey OBE, has been on the road, speaking to different audiences about another of his passions, music education. He’s ready and poised to help, advise and respond when the government finally publishes its National Plan for Music Education. Don’t be surprised if you get an overseas ring tone when you contact him though. Marc’s also busy advising the leading authority on water sanitation and health, IRC, who are based in The Hague. The world of overseas development is increasingly an area where we are hoping to make an impact.

Who was it that said they prefer radio to television because the pictures are better? Think Again’s Jane Bolger has been feeding her own passion for audio recently, training future feature makers for the BBC. She’s also producing an event next year that will bring together cutting edge radio with cutting edge technology. More on that in future posts.

For Ian Parkinson, vintage or retro are probably the words. Not in terms of age or dress sense you understand, but with reference to one of a series of documentaries he’s making for BBC Radio 2. Ian works regularly with colleagues at Folded Wing Productions on Jamie Cullum’s jazz show, and is fresh from a jaunt to Miami for their new series, Gloria Estefan’s Latin Beats. Now he’s bringing the network another gem, producing choreography legend Arlene Phillips OBE, as she tells the story of the TV dance troupes – especially the legendary Pan’s People. All this, and still finding time to indulge his passion for building bicycle wheels. At the rate we are going, and the amount of travelling we are doing (on various forms of transport) we’re wondering whether we really need an office at all?

Our friend Sir Ken Robinson would definitely approve though. He talks about how when people find their passion they are in their element. We are privileged to be able to experience variety, and indulge our passions, in our working lives. Our vision and ambition for Think Again Education is to reach a point where every school leaver feels entitled to expect the same.

Musical Bridges:Transforming Transition from Paul Hamlyn Foundation on Vimeo.

The latest edition of the leading music education magazine YES features the launch of Think Again Education and our plans for the future. YES, from instrument makers Yamaha, is distributed to thousands of music teachers across the UK and available now in digital form. Think Again’s Marc Jaffrey explains what lies behind the setting up of Think Again Education, and the challenges facing today’s school leaders.

“Richard Gerver and I look forward to empowering heads, teachers and senior leaders in education to make the changes they know are right for their schools and their children.”

You can read the latest edition of YES by clicking here. If you’re unfamiliar with the Yudu system, click on the image to get started, then turn the pages either using the arrows at the top, or the page “corners”.

We’d love to know what you think of the article and our plans, you can leave a comment with YES magazine, or here on our site.

Head teachers have been telling us for some time that schools need to change to prepare young people better for the demands of the 21st Century. They’ve also been telling us that they don’t always feel they have the right skills to respond. Which is why Think Again Education was born.

Our specialist training programmes are led by Richard Gerver, a former head teacher who is an internationally renowned author and speaker on education and change. Also joining the Think Again team is David Bell, who has worked with businesses all over the world that need to adapt to new challenges and circumstances.

Together we are offering groundbreaking training in managing change in schools and unlocking funding and resources for schools. We are also working with heads and senior leaders on how best to communicate the need for change, and how to empower their staff to make a difference that has real impact.

Find out more about Think Again Education and how we can help you here or by emailing david@thinkagaineducation.co.uk

The innovative company, founded by our former BBC Radio 1 colleague Karen Pearson, picked up the ‘Indie of the Year’ award at the Radio Production Awards, the annual bash to honour the business of great work by radio independents.

Ian keeps his finger on the radio dial as the Executive Producer of the Jamie Cullum Show on Radio 2 (Tuesdays 7pm). The award is also a tribute to our briliant Technical Producer, Micky Curling, who works with Ian and Karen on a number of other Folded Wing productions too.

Congratulations to Karen and all the team at Folded Wing. Think Again Media is proud of you all. (See the proud winners below.)

Think Again's Ian Parkinson (far right) with Karen Pearson (centre) at the Radio Production Awards

Think Again director Marc Jaffrey has written a hard-hitting article for the first issue of a new magazine aimed at the music education sector. In it, he warns the sector is “on a burning platform’.

“2011 will be a critical year in the history of music education in England – one where music educators will either work together to determinedly put the fires out and build a more sustainable education platform…or fade’.

To read more of Marc’s article, you can download a special digital extract from the magazine by clicking here.

Think Again are providing expert advice to one of the UK’s leading grant-making organisations – the Paul Hamlyn Foundation – on one of its major education programmes. The Musical Bridges project is aimed at improving the musical education of young people by encouraging greater contact between primary and secondary schools.  The recent Henley Review of music education said poor communication between  schools was a significant barrier to children continuing their musical careers.  Think Again will be working with the PHF team on the Musical Bridges project.

Think Again have joined forces with Coveney Communications to further strengthen their work in the schools and education sector. Together, we can offer a full PR, marketing and communications service to schools and other educational organisations.

Coveney Communications is headed by Petra Coveney, who has 20 years of experience in PR, delivering national campaigns for some of the country’s leading organisations and individuals.

For further details of how Think Again can help your school or organisation click here, or e-mail info@thinkagainmedia.co.uk.

Think Again is a proud sponsor and supporter of the Le Mead project, which raises funds for the leukaemia charity the Geoff Thomas Foundation. Le Mead was set up by colleagues of Bedfordshire police officer Steve Mead, who died of leukaemia in 2009. Last year, Think Again director Ian Parkinson took part in a charity bike ride from Venice to Milan across the Italian Alps with a dozen other Le Mead riders.

This week came the news that the ride and its associated events raised 25-thousand pounds to help the fight against blood cancers.

Geoff Thomas, the former England and Crystal Palace captain who is himself a leukaemia survivor, was delighted with the figure.

“That is a fantastic amount and without the support of organisations like Le Mead and its partners, there is now way the foundation could be where it is today”.