Young Academic has today learnt that an expert in primary school teaching and curriculums from the University of East Anglia is calling for Michael Gove’s proposed new National Curriculum for Primary Schools in England to be withdrawn. In incredible education news, it seems that the teaching fraternity are less than impressed with Gove’s latest bout of proposals and will not take the situation lightly.

Sue Cox, a senior lecturer and researcher on the primary curriculum will deliver a petition of more than 2,000 signatures to the education secretary, with backing from the National Association of Primary Education (NAPE) and the Association for the Study of Primary Education (ASPE).

The petition says the present proposals demonstrate a lack of respect for the experience and expertise of the teaching profession, parents, carers and children themselves.

It adds to the tide of opposition that has risen over the past few months, with thousands of teachers, academics, parents, carers and the general public speaking out in criticism of the government’s proposals.

The period of consultation for the review of the National Curriculum has now closed but Ms Cox said the government needed to know that this had not put an end to the strong opposition to the plans.

She said: “The signatories of this petition demand change and believe that the proposed new National Curriculum for primary schools is not fit for children, teachers or for education in the 21st Century.

“The narrow and instrumental approach will fail children, who are actively developing their thinking and understanding. Children are motivated, curious, enquiring learners who need to be inspired by the curriculum. A curriculum cannot be reduced to a syllabus: it should embody principles of good education.”

The petition will be handed in by Sue Cox and educationalist and retired university lecturer Eric Hadley. It calls for the re-formulation of the curriculum to maintain successful learning and well-being for children and their teachers. It also urges the Department for Education to show greater respect for a wider range of stakeholders and their existing knowledge and expertise during this process.

The 2023 signatories, including teachers, parents, grandparents, educationalists, industrialists, HMI, university professors and other academics, claim it is not a curriculum that will raise standards. They believe the proposals do not take sufficient account of what is known about how children learn or allow sufficiently for individual differences.

Ms Cox added: “It may appear to be demanding but in many respects, it is superficial. There is an over-emphasis on factual knowledge, rather than collaborative, creative, higher order, disciplined thinking and reasoning.

“We are concerned that children will not be engaging in deep learning that meets their individual needs and challenges their thinking. Instead, the expectations are that they will perform in response to very specific demands. This will lead to failure and increased disadvantage for many children.”

The petition says the overly detailed and prescriptive content in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science will destroy possibilities for breadth and balance in the primary curriculum and that there will be insufficient room for other valued areas of learning.

NAPE chair John Coe has called for the withdrawal of the present proposals and the re-opening of discussion. He says that The Cambridge Primary Review, which commands the respect of practitioners, would be a good place to start.

He said: “The White Paper published in November 2010 stated with no equivocation that ‘We will review the National Curriculum, with the aim of reducing prescription and allowing schools to decide how to teach’. The prescription, in unprecedented detail, of the core programmes of study leaving all too little time for the foundation subjects is an absolute failure to implement this promise.”

The petition, which was posted on the campaigns website 38 Degrees, also raises concerns that the yet to be published assessment arrangements will be target driven. The signatories believe this will create a risk to children’s education and well-being. They have expressed concern about the lack of opportunity for simultaneous discussion of curriculum and assessment since the latter has a profound effect upon practice.

They also call for more respect to be shown to the way the National Curriculum has evolved since 1988 and what has been learned through the efforts and experience of teachers, children, researchers, educationalists and policy makers, with many signatories commenting on the lack of engagement with research and professional expertise.

Mr Coe added: “The most powerful consideration at the present time is the remarkable unity of views expressed by associations, groups and individuals that the proposals will damage the quality of primary school life and lead to a lowering of standards of achievement.

“It should be stressed that the opposition has not come simply from the unions who are in dispute with the government but from everyone, from universities to nursery schools. Researchers, teacher trainers, head teachers and teachers at every level are united. At the very least a democratically elected government must acknowledge the gulf which has opened up between ministers and the practice of education.”

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Young Academic is completely committed to bringing the nation’s students all they need to know in order to embark on the perfect career path. Whether this be through their University degree, work experience or apprenticeship. As such we have this personal account of a typical apprenticeship from Alison Ryder, a 25 year old Audit Supervisor at Baker Tilly who became a fully qualified accountant in summer 2012.

Earlier this year, the quality of career advice provided to young people was brought into the spotlight. Many schools have reduced the service while others continue to hand over incorrect and incomplete information that heavily favours a university education over on-the-job learning and apprenticeships.

This was certainly the case for me when I was at school. Although I scored straight A*s in my GCSEs, I chose A Level subjects that made me happy – art, photography, politics and philosophy.

Even though I enjoyed these subjects, it soon became apparent that they didn’t lend themselves very easily to getting a job in the real world unless I wanted to become a politician or artist – and let’s face it, how many jobs are there in those fields?

It was for this reason that I decided enough was enough and after A Levels, I would get a proper job. Armed with this new sense of purpose I booked an appointment with the school careers advisor to discuss apprenticeships but to my frustration she only wanted to convince me to go to university.

My school had a ‘name and shame’ list (well, that’s the name I decided to give it) of people who hadn’t completed their UCAS application and given I had no intention of applying to university – I was regularly a part of this list. At no point did I ever feel encouraged to explore other options that may have suited my preferred style of learning or the type of work I wished to pursue.

It was only by chance that I stumbled upon an apprenticeship with a local accountancy firm in Bury St Edmunds and I’ll be forever glad that I did. My employer funded and supported my training through three levels of the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) Accounting Qualification and I’m now a certified accountant at age 25.

I have a qualification, work experience, am completely debt free and have a great job as an audit supervisor at Baker Tilly – one of the top 10 accountancy firms. I get to visit interesting and well-known companies all across the country and find out about their businesses. I also supervise new trainees and take them out to clients with me which is very rewarding. Looking back at the advice I was given in school, I can see that I was lucky to stumble across the perfect solution that would enable me to achieve this.

Choosing a career path at age 18 is a hard task – and even if you do manage to find an area that you’re passionate about then you still need to find a way to secure a job. The hike in tuition fees and the inevitable debt that comes with it has begun to deter many young people from pursuing a university degree. Now is the time to educate young people about the alternatives and improve the quality of careers advice service in schools so that it is accurate and inclusive of all options.

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Engaging children with the environment at a young age is critical to their own well-being, as well as the well-being of the planet, said two world-class scientists at an Earthwatch public lecture last night. Being the national student news service,  Young Academic is obviously very interested in this issue, which could be crucial to the development of the future generation of scientists.

During Why Emotion Matters to Conservation Science at London’s Royal Geographical Society, Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols and Dr. Anastasia Steffen presented to a 700-strong audience, discussing the importance of fostering love for landscape and oceans.

Earthwatch scientist Dr. Steffen recognised the importance of “taking every opportunity to get children out into open spaces” to help them “fall in love” with nature, and consequently recognise the need to preserve it. She highlighted her work studying the landscape and historical use of the Valles Caldera in New Mexico.

“The feeling of love we have for a landscape is adaptive” she said. “It’s part of our evolutionary development. I don’t know what a coyote feels when it recognises a healthy, safe environment to inhabit, but it’s probably something akin to love.”

Her co-speaker Dr. Nichols, a marine biologist, is leading the emerging scientific field of “neuroconservation”, investigating how natural environments could be essential for our well-being, helping reduce stress – a factor that can lead to disease -, and encouraging creativity.

He noted that every well-executed marketing brand uses neuroscience to create an emotional hook. Music, magic and meditation are just some of areas which have exploited neuroscience – so perhaps it’s time conservationists did the same, he said.

“When we interact with our environment, something changes,” stated Dr. Nichols. “Neuroconservation will become a powerful tool that will help us to fix what’s broken. It will allow us to talk about dignity, beauty, compassion and community within our work.

“As scientists we use fear and shame to communicate – which stresses people out more. As biologists, we know that a stressed animal doesn’t reproduce, or seek food. It’s in flight or fight mode. We can treat stress by reconnecting with our natural world.”

Earthwatch Executive Vice President Nigel Winser said:

“These messages hit home and we have much to think about as we decide how best to harness the ideas in developing future ‘citizen science’ activities. The speakers shared current research that will emphasise the importance of ‘environmental sensitivity’ brought on by a quality field experience with quality people, as happens on Earthwatch expeditions.”

Earthwatch inspires connections between people and the environment. Our mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.

Since 1971, we’ve been enabling people from all walks of life to join leading scientists working on crucial, environmental research projects locally and globally. We currently support about 60 projects across nearly 40 countries.

Dr. Steffen leads Earthwatch project Encountering the Prehistoric People of New Mexico.

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Well we all knew it was coming, but the way the David Moyes fiasco has developed has turned out to be rather interesting. Following reports yesterday that David Moyes was set to be named Alex Ferguson’s successor “in the next 24 hours”, all had gone somewhat quiet today. However, just a few minutes after the Manchester United facebook page temporarily welcomed the Scot as the new manager of the club, Everton FC’s official Twitter account confirmed that Moyes would step down at the end of the season. The message was taken down immediately but not before sources such as the BBC had already got onto the announcement.

Although there is nothing official to suggest Moyes’ departure is because he is heading to Old Trafford, this certainly seems to be the case with no approach made for two time Champions League winner Jose Mourinho. The way this has been handled by both the Everton and Manchester United camps seems to have been rather odd with mixed messages disseminating from both club hierarchies.

So, as things stand, David Moyes will be as good as Manchester United manager before their Premiership Champions’ parade and with two rather pointless games left for both teams. Manchester United have won the league title and unless Everton lose their remaining games and Liverpool beat Fulham and QPR – they will finish above their Merseyside rivals for the third successive time.

Questions will be asked regarding David Moyes’ European credentials and the fact that he has never beaten Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool away from home in 43 attempts but these will be duly countered with his incredible Everton record and reputation for getting the most out of his players. Some Manchester United fans may also be worried about Moyes’ questionable record in the transfer market – but given that the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson himself will still be lurking in the wings – he will have plenty of support…or hand holding as the case may be.

Either way, David Moyes looks set to be the man to step into world football’s third biggest shoes.

Keep an eye on the Young Academic football section for further updates regarding this story and all the summer’s transfer goings-on!

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Young Academic has learnt that The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), BPP and PwC are working with some of the world’s largest global companies to develop England and Wales’ first ever degree level apprenticeship in management accounting.

The move opens doors to employers across the UK to take advantage of government funding and student interest in different routes to higher education and employment.

It is anticipated that the first roles aimed at school leavers completing their A-levels could be available as early as September 2013, with Siemens being one of the first employers to adopt the programme.

The qualification route, designed with education providers, industry associations and leading employers, means Apprentices will access a top quality career in management accounting that typically has only been available to university graduates. They will study for the globally recognised CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting qualification, alongside wider business training and experience such as in team working, project management and leadership skills.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “This new degree level Apprenticeship will be fantastic for young people who want to pursue a career in management accounting but feel University isn’t for them. It will also provide a more diverse workforce for businesses that offer it.

“It is our ambition to make it the norm for school leavers to either go to University or to do an Apprenticeship. Higher Apprenticeships like this are crucial to making that a reality.”

“This reflects the growing view that employability is increasingly of greater importance than academic qualifications,” said James Hammill, Director, BPP Professional Apprenticeships.

“These apprenticeships are employer-led, giving young people skilled jobs which will give them the opportunity to ultimately progress to full chartered accountant status.”

“CIMA is delighted to offer talented people in England and Wales a new and supported route into management accounting” said David Rowsby, CIMA’s Regional Director for Europe. He continued:

“It’s a great opportunity to gain real practical experience whilst studying towards a professional qualification, laying solid foundations for a finance or commercial role in the future.”
David Way, Executive Director, National Apprenticeship Service said: “This collaborative partnership is another example of how Apprenticeships are growing in quality and ambition. They increasingly reflect the exciting and diverse world of work and the range and level of occupations available.

“Research and experience shows clearly that Apprenticeships deliver real business benefits for employers. When launched, this Higher Apprenticeship will also enable firms in the professional services industry to diversify their traditional workforce and to attract and invest in talented young people.”

Sara Caplan, Partner, PwC, who has led the development of the frameworks used to create the Higher Apprenticeship across Professional Services said; “This framework offers a completely fresh way of thinking about qualifications, skills and employment in the professional services industry, and one that’s open to all employers and students irrespective of their size, location or background. For employers, in particular, with such a range of government funding, training support and industry involvement, this is the right time to be acting on apprenticeships. It’s a huge opportunity for everyone involved to transform the pipeline of skills supporting British business and recovery.”

The new framework, designed specifically to meet the needs of the professional services skills development and employment, will also reassure employers who have said in the past that the biggest barriers to hiring an apprentice was that apprenticeships are not sufficiently tailored to their needs, or relevant to their sector, [CIPD research Sept 2012] and is aligned with the recent recommendations of the Richard review; http://t.co/TPlsxiC5mb.

To underline its commitment to the Apprenticeship cause, the Government has dedicated significant funding; investing £250 million over five years to create 50,000 Apprenticeship places by 2015. Higher Apprenticeships are aimed at anyone who has completed A-levels or equivalent.

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The Young Academic Festival Guide can bring you some vital news regarding this year’s Hideout Festival in Croatia. After the event sold out in nine weeks, organisers have very kindly made a limited number of resale tickets available – although they have advised that these will not last for long!

As a small number of deposit tickets have not been claimed, Hideout Festival are releasing them in order to give others a chance to experience the festival of a lifetime in stunning Croatia. At only £114 including a sort after Hideout programme, organisers advise fans that tickets will go very quickly, available from www.hideoutfestival.com or as a package ticket including festival transfers and accommodation from Collegium. Organisers advise revellers to keep an eye on their new Instagram pages as there will be the chance to win lots of prizes throughout this years festival @HIDEOUTFESTIVAL #Hideout2013.

Four Tet, Loco Dice, Julio Bashmore and More!

Hideout Festival is set to be the highlight for thousands of music lovers this summer as globally renowned DJs make their way to the picturesque island of Pag from 3rd – 5th July. The likes of Loco Dice, Chase & Status, Four Tet, Seth Troxler and Julio Bashmore will be playing as the sun rises on the turquoise sea and white sands of Zcre beach. Since it’s inception in 2010 Hideout Festival has set itself apart from other European festivals, now firmly the summer paradise for thousands from around the world. With an incomparable line-up and set in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Hideout Festival is hugely in demand, ensuring that re-sale tickets will go fast.

Keep up with all the Hideout news through their new Instagram, the perfect place to get a feel for the festival, depicting highlights from last year and this summer #Hideout2013. Tickets are available for just £114 + BF, from the Hideout website or Collegium.

More news from Hideout Festival soon as Day Splits and yet more Pool Parties are to be announced!

HIDEOUT LINE-UP

CHASE & STATUS DJ SET/ FOUR TET DJ SET / JAMIE JONES / JULIO BASHMORE / LOCO DICE / MARCO CAROLA / MODESELEKTOR / RUDIMENTAL DJ SET / SBTRKT DJ SET / SETH TROXLER / SKREAM & BENGA

ANDY C / BEN UFO / CAMO & KROOKED / CASSY / CLAUDE VON STROKE / CRAIG RICHARDS / DAMIAN LAZARUS / DAVID RODIGAN MBE / DIXON / DYED SOUNDOROM / EATS EVERYTHING / EROL ALKAN / FLOATING POINTS / FRICTION / HEIDI / HIGH CONTRAST / INFINITY INK / JACKMASTER / JOHN TALABOT / JOY ORBISON / JUSTIN MARTIN / LEE FOSS / MK / MISTAJAM / MOSCA / NETSKY / PEARSON SOUND / PENDULUM DJ SET/ REDLIGHT / RYAN CROSSON / SCUBA / SHY FX / SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO / SOUL CLAP / SUBB AN / TENSNAKE

ARTWORK / BAAUER / B-TRAITS / BICEP / BONDAX / DELTA HEAVY / DISMANTLE / DJ HYPE / DUSKY / HUXLEY / JOKER / LOADSTAR / MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM / MIGUEL CAMPBELL / MONSTA / MOVE D / ONEMAN / PANGAEA / RALPH LAWSON / RICHY AHMED / ROBERT JAMES / SIMON BAKER / TINI / TODDLA T
ADAM SHELTON / ALEXIS RAPHAEL / BEN PEARCE / DANIEL AVERY / DOORLY/ FRANCESCA LOMBARDO / HECTOR / KIDNAP KID / KILL FRENZY / LAST MAGPIE / MIDLAND / ROBERT DIETZ / RYAN ELLIOT / WILL SAUL / YOUANDEWAN

DEATH ON THE BALCONY / MAK / MATT LONG / MIKE JONES /NORTH BASE / NORTHERN LIGHTS / PEOPLE GET REAL / THE SONIC EMPORIUM
BOAT PARTIES HOSTED BY: 2020VISION / AUS & SIMPLE / BLACK BUTTER RECORDS / BROADWALK RECORDS / DESOLAT / DIGITAL SOUNDBOY / DROP THE MUSTARD/ DUB BORO FACE / HESSLE AUDIO / JACKATHON / METROPOLIS / MONO_CULT / NUMBERS ONE RECORDS / SKREAM & BENGA PRESENT / WE OWN

WITH DJ SETS FROM: ADAM SHELTON / ALEXIS RAPHAEL / ARTWORK / B-TRAITS / BEN PEARCE / BEN UFO / BENGA / BICEP / BONDAX / DISMANTLE / DOORLY / FRICTION / GEORGE FITZGERALD / GORGON CITY / HECTOR / HEIDI / HIGH CONTRAST / HUXLEY / JACKMASTER / JOKER / JOY ORBISON / JULIO BASHMORE / KIDNAP KID / MIDLAND / MISTAJAM / PANGAEA / PEARSON SOUND / RALPH LAWSON / REDLIGHT / ROBERT DIETZ / RUDIMENTAL / SHY FX / SIMON BAKER / SKREAM / SPENCER / SUBB AN / TINI / WILL SAUL / DEATH ON THE BALCONY / MAK / MATT LONG / MIKE JONES / NORTH BASE / NORTHERN LIGHTS / PEOPLE GET REAL / TONN PIPER

RECORD LABEL PARTNERS: 2020 VISION / AUS & SIMPLE / DESOLAT / DIGITAL SOUNDBOY / DIRTYBIRD / HESSLE AUDIO / HOT CREATIONS / JACKATHON NUMBERS / ONE RECORDS
CLUB PARTNERS: CIRCO LOCO / DROP THE MUSTARD / DUB BORO / FACE / METROPOLIS / MONO_CULT / MOTION / RAM JAM / REGULATE / TROUBLE VISION / WAX:ON / WE OWN / ZUTEKH

www.hideoutfestival.com
HIDEOUT FESTIVAL TICKETS
£114 + BF

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Warehouse Project season may be over, but that doesn’t mean the end of the festivities at Victoria Warehouse. It’s a busy old time for the music scene at present, with a plethora of additions to the Festival Guide and this weekend sees the eagerly anticipated arrival of Visionquest THIRTEEN to Manchester.

The aim of Visionquest Thirteen is to provide “innovative production concepts and cutting-edge technology” in order to create unique clubbing experiences. The concept has been inspired by the recent passing of the Maya Long Count calendar which depending on who you spoke to, either signalled the end of the world or the start of a new beginning.

Troxler, Curtis, Reeves and Crosson…

As such, the collective of Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Shaun Reeves and Ryan Crosson will be playing live and also DJ at a series of thirteen parties across the world.

Lee Curtis had the following to say of the project; “Visionquest Thirteen is a chance for the boys and I to go back to what we do best. Playing and hanging out together the way we used to and coming up with new ideas”

“The twist on doing these 13 special events is that we will be pushing the level of production and music up further than we had originally imagined.”

So, if you are in the North West this weekend and looking to take in some incredible sounds and be part of a truly intriguing musical initiative, make sure you get your tickets before they sell out and head to the new home of Warehouse Project. This is the only opportunity to witness the four playing as a collective and together. They will also be joined by their friends and extended family members TALE OF US, DINKY and LAURA JONES.

You can buy your Tickets here.

Visionquest THIRTEEN Line Up: Saturday 27th Apr, 2013

ROOM 2

SETH TROXLER

LEE CURTISS

SHAUN REEVES

RYAN CROSSON

ROOM 3

TALE OF US

DINKY

LAURA JONES

Time: 21:00 – 05:00

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As the nation’s national student news service, Young Academic is obviously committed to finding you the very best ways to enhance your university or college experience. As such, we are delighted to bring you news regarding Rate Your Lecturer. This is site that allows you to rate your lecturers on their teaching ability and also comment on your experiences.

By visiting www.rateyourlecturer.co.uk, you can make these ratings and add any commentary that you see fit.  These ratings are then applied to the relevant course and institution so that full scored can be aggregated – a great all round picture will be given as to who are the good, bad and ugly lecturers in the UK education system. Full league tables are easily accessible via the site and it is hoped that this competitive edge will improve teaching standards across the country’s Universities.

The team at Rate Your Lecturer are attempting to redress the balance between teaching and research in UK universities whilst also providing students and prospective students with vital information when it comes to choosing a university or a module.

We believe this is a fantastic concept and that www.rateyourlecturer.co.uk is a site that is capable of revolutionising and revitalising the university system, something that is badly needed in today’s climate.

Return on Investment…

The average cost of tertiary education currently stands at £53,000. For this reason, RateYourLecturer.co.uk aims to provide a platform to help both prospective and existing university students achieve the best possible educational return for their expensive investment.

The ultimate aim is to end up with a public database of information for prospective and existing University students which will contain everything from courses and modules to lecturers and actual life on the campus. There are already over 100 institutions on the Rate Your Lecturer site from 63 locations and including over 70,000 lecturers.

At present, figures are showing a slant towards Universities in Hull and Northumbria due to the fact that much of the testing has been carried out at these locations but as more and more students use the tool – more rounded data will become available.

Priceless Feedback…

Although this revolutionary new concept could come as a worry to any lecturers not currently performing to the best  of their ability, the flip side is that exceptional educators will get the recognition they deserve which has the obvious positive repercussions for their University. It is hoped that any negative feedback will result into the rethinking of certain teaching methods, courses and even the content within them. The feedback will be priceless and offer constructive criticism that may have been difficult to get hold of previously.

This system will also help prospective students to identify the course and/or university that most suits their checklist of educational priorities. Through the ability to pick and choose those who educate them, students can ensure they receive the best grades possible. Additionally, the chance of students using Rate Your Lecturer will also stand less chance of dropping out which will save valuable time, effort and perhaps most crucially –money.

“We are very excited with the launch today. The students themselves are the best advocates for their lecturers and their ability to teach and inspire. It is therefore essential to engage with them; and this site provides a platform for students to talk to each other, learn from each other and help each other achieve the best grades possible.

With the involvement of the students this site could help revolutionise teaching and teaching quality in our universities; ensuring the long term quality of tertiary education increases accordingly to complement the rising cost of education. It is essential that we retain the reputation of British universities on the world stage” said Michael Bulman, Founder of Rate Your Lecturer.

As an innovative student tool, Young Academic is extremely excited to see how this fantastic new website develops and improves the education system for all involved. Keep an eye on the site and our www.facebook.com/youngacademic for further updates on Rate Your Lecturer.

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Some fantastic student news for you today as Young Academic has discovered that The Student Loans Company (SLC) has launched improvements to its online customer account system. The changes have been implemented in order to make it more efficient and customer friendly.

These upgrades have been introduced following feedback from SLC customers and students across the United Kingdom and the need to offer a more efficient and modern service.

Customers can now log in to their online account using either their Customer Reference Number (CRN) or the email address that is registered to their account.  Steps have also been taken to make it simpler to retrieve secret answers and passwords.

Lindsay Brown, Digital Product Manager at SLC said: “We have listened to our customers and made these improvements based on their feedback. This will make it an easier process to log in, apply online and manage their accounts and reduce the need to call our contact centre.

“As well as offering a more modern and improved service, these enhancements demonstrate that we listen to the needs of our customers and work to make their suggestions a reality.”

Here are some Top Tips to help customers maintain their online account:

If you don’t know your password, or secret answer you can click on the  “Forgotten your password/secret answer?” links and tell us some basic information to identify your account so that you can reset your password or secret answer. The postcode we ask for to help us identify your account is any that is registered to your account, either your home address or term time address.

When requesting a new password via email you will now receive a web address in the password and secret answer reset emails – not temporary credentials. By accessing this web address you can pick a new password and secret answer.

Keep your email up to date in your account so that you can use it to login (and to recover login details should you ever forget them)

For a step-by-step guide to accessing your account, students can view the FAQs section at http://www.sfengland.slc.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions.aspx.

These changes could well see an end to the problems that many students have been encountering when it comes to their Student Loans Company account. To keep up to date with this story and all your other student news articles, why not follow Young Academic on Facebook or even add us to your RSS feed reader?

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As our regular readers will be well aware,Young Academic is committed to bringing students and young entrepreneurs all the information they need to further their studies and career. As such, we are delighted to be able to bring you news of a fantastic scheme from Cotswold Fayre.

As distributors of fine foods, Cotswold Fayre have unveiled a start-up support scheme by the name of Cotswold Collaborates.

Cotswold Collaborates to Assist Food Entrepeneurs…

This initiative’s purpose is to assist fine food entrepreneurs between the ages of 16 and 24 who are looking to give their businesses a much needed boost. As the United Kingdom just starts to think about life after the recession, this scheme could be priceless when it comes to giving these businesses a push to the next level.

Paul Hargreaves, managing director of Cotswold Fayre, said: “As a fervent supporter of the fine food industry, we want to encourage new talent into this growing sector.

“The prospect of either starting a business from scratch or taking it to the next stage can be daunting. Cotswold Collaborates will offer the winning entrant not just monetary support but also business advice to help face these challenges”

£1,000 Winning Prize for Food Innovation…

The winning applicant will be awarded with £1,000 to help grow their company. On top of this, they will be invited to spend a day with a member of the Cotswold Fayre senior management team to discuss and develop their business plan, while gaining industry insight and advice. After the initial meeting, the mentor will offer continued support to the winner in monthly catch-ups.

In addition to this support, Cotswold Fayre’s in-house designer will work with the winner to develop a strong brand identity through design.

Paul added: “We are extremely excited to launch Cotswold Collaborates. In particular, we are looking forward to working with a fresh new business, using our experience to help it develop and grow.”

Applications are open until 15 June 2013 and the application form can be found at http://www.cotswoldfayre.co.uk/cotswold-collaborations/ .

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