How our children encounter business, Industry and enterprise in school and beyond.
The research and thinking that underpins our unique approach.
Why meaningful encounters matter for every one of our children at Tees Valley Education.
Introduction
We are proud of the communities that we serve. We know that many of our communities face challenges. But did you know that they are built on a rich history of industry and enterprise?
On your way to our schools, you may catch a glimpse of the Transporter Bridge without realising that the prototype for all bridges like this was designed by Charles Smith in 1873 in Hartlepool.
In 1801, Middlesbrough was a farmland that was home to 25 people. Today the population exceeds 140,000.
Middlesbrough has a town in America named after it. ‘Middlesboro’ is one of the largest cities in Kentucky and sits between Pine mountain and the Cumberland mountains, believed to be a meteorite crater.
Film industry pioneer, Ridley Scott, is from the North East and based the opening scenes of Blade Runner on the former ICI plant at Wilton.
Middlesbrough Railway Station was targeted and badly damaged by the Luftwaffe during World War Two because of its strategic importance to the region.
Henry William Ferdinand Bolckow (1806-1878) was a Victorian industrialist and Member of Parliament, acknowledged as being one of the founders of modern Middlesbrough. Bolckow set up an ironmaking business which became the company Bolckow Vaughan. It came to operate coal mines, limestone quarries and a major ironworks which stimulated the growth of Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough born Maud Mary Chadburn CBE (1868 –1957), was one of the earliest women in the United Kingdom to pursue a career as a surgeon. She also co-founded the South London Hospital for Women and Children in 1912 with fellow surgeon Eleanor Davies-Colley.
James Cook FRS (1728 – 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy. He made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand.
Middlesbrough MP Ellen Cicely Wilkinson (1891 –1947) was a politician who served as Minister of Education from July 1945 until her death. Earlier in her career, became a national figure when she played a prominent role in the 1936 Jarrow March of the town’s unemployed to London to petition for the right to work. Her actions provided an iconic image for the 1930s and helped to form post-Second World War attitudes to unemployment and social justice.
Middlesbrough born Sir Liam Joseph Donaldson FRCSE FRCP FRCPE FMedSci FRCA (1949-) is a British doctor. He was formerly the Chief Medical Officer for England, being the 15th occupant of the post since it was established in 1855. He was principal advisor to the United Kingdom Government on health matters and one of the most senior officials in the NHS.
Stephen Gibson OBE (1958) is a British entrepreneur and the chairman and owner of Middlesbrough Football Club. In May 2020, he was listed 481st on the Sunday Times Rich List, with a net worth of £270 million.
Rob Smedley (1973) is a British automotive engineer who works for the organisers of Formula One motor racing after several years working within the Williams, Ferrari and Jordan Formula One teams. Smedley was awarded an honorary degree from Teesside University in 2009. In July 2015 he was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Formula 1 and race engineering. In 2020 Smedley started a low-cost racing series using electric karts, aimed at making motorsport more accessible to beginners.
William Tillyer (1938) is a British artist working within painting, watercolour and the printmaking tradition. Since the 1950s, Tillyer has exhibited internationally, and his work can be found in the collections of major institutions including the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Brooklyn Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Tate Britain and the Victoria and Albert Museum. There are at least 15 works by Tillyer in the Tate collection.
These historical figures, innovators and agents of change were shaped by the Teesside communities in which they served.
How many of our children, families and teachers at TVED realise that they are standing on the shoulders of giants in our region?
We believe that business, industry and enterprise continue to define our communities. We know that our children are the future innovators and agents of change in Teesside and beyond.
Our business, industry and enterprise learning is an important part of preparing and equipping TVED children in this.
Curriculum intent
Our children are growing up in an ever-changing and fast paced world. Business and enterprise will continue to shape the lives of our children as they grow up in this world; but we want our children to be more than consumers. We want our children to be specialists and masters of business and industry.
Our curriculum aims to:
Integrate thinking skills with collaborative and independent learning in order to deepen understanding.
Provide every child with meaningful encounters and interactions with real-world business and enterprise.
Enable all children to understand local and regional business and enterprise opportunities; instilling in them ambition to pursue these opportunities.
Facilitate deep learning opportunities from meaningful encounters with business and enterprise leaders both within and beyond the classroom.
Contribute to a growing body of research and best practice on the significance of real-industry encounters for children, especially those from underrepresented groups.
Key partners
We are proud to have the following pioneers and innovators working alongside our schools.
Each partner creates ongoing, meaningful and distinct opportunities for each of our children in the Tees Valley.
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