ORGANISING AN EVENT FOR ABLE LINGUISTS
Introduction
At Ryde High School we have been running ‘Able Linguist’ events for year 11s for 6 years and
we would like to share our experiences with you in order to enable you to run similar
events. Our events aim to motivate more students to continue with their language studies
post 16 and after they have left school. Often we have set out with a vision in mind as to
how the event will take shape, only to find that logistics dictate that we move in a very
different direction. Our last event formed part of a collaboration between Young Chamber
UK, the University of Portsmouth and ourselves in a LinkedUp project as part of Enterprise
Week on the Isle of Wight. We feel that we have now found a formula which suits our
purpose and would like to share it with you.
In-house support
Before you even start to think about organising an event make sure that senior
management will support you, both with your own time and in allowing staff to accompany
you to the event. Do not underestimate the time it takes to organise an event, especially as
the event draws closer.
Employer Engagement
We started off with great ambitions of attracting prominent guest speakers from the world
of celebrity who would truly inspire our young linguists. The reality is that such speakers are
quite difficult to get hold of unless you already have contacts, and those who are happy to
give up their time for free are booked up years in advance. We therefore turned to local
employers; the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Industry was a great asset
in putting us in contact with them. We are lucky to have the first ever branch of Young
Chamber on the Isle of Wight and working closely with them meant that we were not only
given names of potential speakers but could also tap into occasional funding pots to which
they had access.
Working with local universities
We do not have any universities on the Isle of Wight but we found that both the University
of Southampton and the University of Portsmouth were able to provide us with
undergraduate linguists who could speak to the students about studying languages at
university. Feedback demonstrated that these students related well to our year 11s and
could answer questions about their concerns about going away from home.
The University of Portsmouth also has a trainee teacher programme and we decided to
involve them in our last two events. This has a mutual benefit. Firstly, it provides you with a
wealth of target language speakers who can help you run language challenges and support
the students with speaking practice. Secondly, the trainee teachers have the opportunity
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not only to learn how to run such an event, but also to meet students who are truly
motivated in their subject.
Finding the right venue
This can be tricky requiring a degree of flexibility. Do you match your event to a particular
venue, or do you try and find a venue which will match your event? When looking for a
suitable venue we would suggest the following:
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Get out of school if you can. Taking the students to a ‘posh’ venue and immersing
them in a ‘conference’ style atmosphere, focuses them on the task. They appreciate
the nice surroundings, especially the catering, and they feel that they have been
selected for something special.
Find a venue with a decent number of breakout rooms, equipment that works and
good acoustics. Good internet access is handy but not essential and it is better not
to depend on it.
If you are running a task using laptops, ensure there are plenty of sockets and
available extension leads.
Make sure that you can go back nearer the time to talk through seating
arrangements and that you will be able to get into the venue early that morning or
even the night before to set everything up.
Ask the venue to be flexible with timings for catering as you will invariably
over/under-run. Make sure they are prepared to have water available throughout
the day.
Ideally find a venue which will invoice you for actual numbers on the day rather than
on predicted numbers.
If you are involving a number of schools, find somewhere central.
We have used our local YMCA centre, a hotel, an arts centre, a Yacht Haven and a
Cricket Club. Each has its own merits.
Transport Arrangements
Ensure you allow enough time for everyone to get there. If you arrange the transport for all
of the schools involved, guest speakers and other participants, you will have more control
over whether they arrive on time.
Most guest speakers will expect their travel expenses to be met, so make sure that you have
set this up with your finance department beforehand so that they are aware how to invoice
you. This ensures that they can be paid promptly.
Linking with other schools
As a Language College we have been able to pay for the venue, catering, resources and
transport for all of our events (but not cover) for the five participating high schools. This has
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© Crown copyright 2011, Department for Education. This resource has been created through the LinkedUp Award Scheme.
either been funded out of our Language College budget or through Young Chamber,
Aimhigher, Routes into Languages or Links into Languages. This has meant that most years
all five schools have participated as they only have to fund cover for one accompanying
teacher. Without this funding we do not think that other schools would be able to
participate.
It is often a problem getting the final numbers to the venues in time and some schools have
been known to drop quite dramatically in numbers between notifying the venue of final
numbers for catering and the actual event. It may be worthwhile, therefore, charging a
refundable deposit to schools to cover the costs you might incur for no-shows.
Budget
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The venue can cost anywhere between £5 and £25 per person for room hire and
catering. It is worth shopping around and again liaising with your local Chamber of
Commerce who may be able to get you a better deal. We normally aim for 100 - 120
delegates in total. If you have a number of guest speakers and trainee teachers you
are probably then looking at around 50 to 70 students.
Coaches can work out expensive and with groups of 15-25 people coming from each
school, you can double up. However, this can create a long journey for one school.
Our costs this year were £450 for two coaches.
You will need to budget for photocopying and resources as follows:
Essential
o Tasksheets
o Agendas
o Feedback sheets
o Prizes if running challenges (these might be donated)
o Name badges (approximately £7 for a pack of 24 plastic coated badges)
Ideal
 Promotional folders for agendas and other relevant papers
 Goody bags with free pens and small promotional gifts
 Sweets for each table
Timetable
Obviously timelines will vary according to the programme you are running and the needs of
your venue. However, here is a guideline as to how to set about your planning:
1. In the summer term preceding your event, ascertain a date with your partner
schools which does not coincide with their own events, preferably before any year
11 option evenings which are taking place. This enables them to get the venue put
on their school calendar. Our events have tended to be in late January but this year
we also held one in November to coincide with Enterprise Week.
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2. Once you have your date then contact your chosen venue to see if it is available. If it
isn’t you will need to decide which is more important, the participation of all the
schools or the chosen venue.
3. If you are going to have promotional folders and gifts start to get your artwork
sorted and place your order at least two months before the event. Internet agencies
are usually very quick and can turn things around in a week, but local suppliers can
take longer if they are busy and you don’t want to be panicking at the last minute.
4. Next contact your chosen speakers and other contributors so that you can produce a
mini-flier to promote your event. This can take a while as you ascertain who is
available. Trawl wide initially as there may be several people who cannot attend.
5. Send out your flier and your draft letter to participating schools with a deadline for
when you will need to know their numbers, names and which languages they
represent.
6. Provisionally contact transport providers according to estimated numbers.
7. About a month before the event it is a good idea to order your name badges and
other resources such as paper and pens. Write a press release to your local
newspaper inviting them along to take photographs.
8. About a week before the deadline gently remind the participating schools that you
need numbers, names, medical and dietary information and languages spoken
urgently. Realistically, you will probably only receive all of this information a few
days before the event.
9. A week before, update the venue on the numbers and dietary information and
arrange to visit them to talk through seating plans. At this stage you can start to
print or write your name badges, allocate students to groups, buy any last minute
resources and confirm transport arrangements.
10. On the day, remember to take plenty of photographs and videos and record
students’ comments while they are doing certain activities.
11. Post event ensure that all guest speakers have had their expenses paid, analyse the
feedback forms and write an evaluation. Thank you letters/e-mails are often
something we forget after the event, so try and do these the next day. It’s quite nice
to issue certificates for participating students and send them to schools.
Letters Home
We produce a standard letter home which we e-mail to all schools. This can be found in
Appendix A and includes a request for us to be able to take photos and to use them for
promotional materials.
Risk Assessments
A risk assessment for the event can be found in Appendix B. Separate risk assessments can
be done for transport, also in Appendix B.
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Useful Documents
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Registration form or signing in sheet for health and safety but also so that you can
monitor who came and issue any certificates after the event. If you are running a
challenge, then a list of teams and team labels for the tables.
Spare copies of the programme for the day for the venue, guest speakers and the
local press. A sample agenda can be found in Appendix C
If you are running a ‘round robin’ of events it is useful to include a chart of when and
where each activity will take place and a list of who is in each group in their
information packs. See example below:
Timeslot
3.30-3.50
3.50-4.10
4.10-4.30
4.30-5
A
CV
Jupiter room
Tourism exercise
Main Hall
Secret Services
ICT suite
Feedback
B
Secret Services
ICT suite
CV
Jupiter Room
Tourism exercise
Main Hall
Feedback
C
Tourism exercise
Main Hall
Secret Services
ICT suite
CV
Jupiter room
Feedback
Group A
Group B
Group C
List of student names
List of student names
List of student
names
Workshops and Challenges
Samples of workshops and challenges we have used can be found in separate documents.
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Appendix A
Letter home
Dear Parent/Carer
Your Future in Languages Event for Year 11
Friday 26th November 2010
Newport County Cricket Club
We would like to invite your son/daughter to participate in the above event which will take
place at Newport County Cricket Club from 9am to 3pm.
This event will provide your child with an insight into how languages can be used in the
workplace and will give them the opportunity to hear guest speakers from industry and
university talking about the importance of languages in today’s world. The programme will
include a language challenge set around a real scenario based on a cruise ship. The winners
of the challenge will have the opportunity to visit a cruise ship in port. This will be a very
useful experience for any student with the ability to continue studying languages as part of
the post-16 programme. We strongly recommend that your child take up this opportunity.
In order to reserve a place, please return the enclosed parental consent forms by 21st October.
A coach will be arranged to transport students to and from the event and the times of
departure and arrival will be announced on our return after Half Term. Our school has been
given 15 free places and these will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
We look forward to receiving your forms and thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Suttmann
International Centre Manager
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I would be delighted for my child to attend the Language Event on 26th November 2010.
Name of Student……………………………………………………………………….
Tutor Group…………………………………………………………………………….
I am happy for my child to be photographed at the ‘Your Future in Languages Event’*
I do NOT wish my child to be photographed at the ‘Your Future in Languages Event’ on 26th
November.*
* Please delete as appropriate
Please provide details of any medical conditions or dietary requirements of your child you
would like us to be aware of.
Signed………………………………………………………………………..
Please print name……………………………………
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© Crown copyright 2011, Department for Education. This resource has been created through the LinkedUp Award Scheme.
Appendix B
Hazards:
Offsite Journey
- General
Risk Assessment Event
Associat
ed Risks:
Who is at
Risk?
(see
below)
All group
Car Park
Fatality –
Head
Injury
Internal
Injury
Falls onto
roadway.
All group
Stairways
Fatality –
Head
Injury
Trips
Falls
All group
Toilet facilities
Fatality –
Injury
Violence
Abduction
Refreshment
facilities
List existing controls or attach information.
Identify action needed for risks for which
these controls are not adequate:
Use additional Risk Assessments covering
journeys: Bus/Coach & Ferry.
Trained First Aider present.
Mobile phones
Supervised groups
Keep well away from roadside and moving
vehicles.
Head count.
Responsibility:
Group Leader
Group Leader, group
supervisor.
Supervision.
Single file on stairways.
No running.
Awareness of any potential trip hazard.
Group Leader
Pupils
Supervision
Pupils advise supervising adults when they are
going to the washrooms so that this can be
monitored.
Attendant adult
Fatality –
Anaphyla
ctic shock
Choking
Pupils
Allergy pupils
Aware of student’s allergies and that medication
is available.
Trained First Aider present.
Group Leader
Unsupervised
pupil
movements
Fatality –
Injury
Violence
Abduction
Pupils
Pupils are not allowed to move outside the
complex without adult supervision.
Group Leader
Emergencies
Fatality –
Fire
Bomb
threat
Other…..
Fatality –
Loss of
time
All group
Stay in manageable group sizes, follow venue
evacuation guidance/rules.
Regular head counts.
Group leader to coordinate groups.
Group Leader, group
supervision.
All group
Use and carry emergency procedure from
Offsite Leadership guidance.
Group Leader
No emergency
procedure
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© Crown copyright 2011, Department for Education. This resource has been created through the LinkedUp Award Scheme.
Risk Assessment Coach
Hazards:
Associated
Risks:
Who is at Risk?
List existing controls or
attach information. Identify
action needed for risks for
which these controls are not
adequate:
Organisation & Supervision.
Briefing prior to activity.
Mobile communications.
Adult:Pupil ratio is correct.
Group contact list.
Distribution of Risk
Assessment
Supervision.
Reduce exposure (waiting)
time.
Keep well away from roadside
and moving vehicles.
Responsibility:
Offsite Journey General
Fatality(see below)
All group
Bus Stop / Bus
Station
Fatality –
Head Injury
Internal Injury
Falls onto
roadway.
Children
Boarding /
Disembarking
Fatality –
Head Injury
Trip, Fall down
stairways.
Children
Supervision.
Adults helping at doorways.
Check numbers ON & OFF.
Group Leader,
Supervision
Vehicle Movement
Severe –
Head injury
Children
Supervision.
Children to be properly seated
at all times.
Group Leader,
Supervision
Lack of Emergency
Procedure
Fatality
Severe Injury
Lost Child
Children
Emergency Procedure in
Offsite Leadership Manual.
Group Leader
Headteacher, Group
Leader
Group Leader,
Supervision
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Appendix C
Sample Programme
‘Your Future in Languages’
Friday 26th November
09.00 to 15.00
9.00 – 9.15
Arrival and Registration
9.15 – 9.20
Welcome and housekeeping, Pat Suttmann
9.20 – 9.40
Michelle Russell, Island Games
9.40 – 10.00
Louisa Paston
10.00 – 10.15
Introduction of the Language Challenge, Raz Hussain Solent EBP
10.15 – 10.30
Break
10.30—13.30
The Challenge
12.30-13.30
Working Lunch
13.30—14.20
Presentations
14.20 – 14.40
Luke Kerr—Gurit
14.40– 15.00
Announcement of winners and close.
Newport County Cricket Ground
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© Crown copyright 2011, Department for Education. This resource has been created through the LinkedUp Award Scheme.