In our experience working with schools is almost always a pleasure. We are all trying to achieve the same end goal, namely to help develop confident and competent young people, so there are rarely issues which arise during our work.
However, for the avoidance of doubt, we felt it wise to spell out a few things which will help us to ensure that the relationship between Magic Message, our consultants and our partner schools is a smooth and productive one.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM OUR CPD
Here's why you can trust Magic Message:
Although we do not answer calls or emails instantly, we aim to do so within 48 hours. As a small company we are able to move quickly and communicate by phone, email or video call depending on your preference.
We have vast experience in working with young people in maths classrooms, and in helping teachers develop their skills, but you know your school better than we do, so we will always aim to tailor our bespoke training to your own identified needs.
We will deliver a research-based and expertly-prepared day. Our consultants aim to arrive at least an hour before the scheduled start of the day to allow plenty of time to set up. We will prepare notes as appropriate (but we do not give out our slides in advance as this is not good practice). We will not simply ‘lecture’; we know from research that teachers, like children, learn best when they are actively engaged rather than merely listening.
Andrew is VERY selective about who he will use to deliver training; so much so that we have occasionally turned away work because we cannot find the perfect person to deliver it, since we value reputation and integrity ahead of profit.
FEE STRUCTURE (prices held for 2023-2024)
INSETs are costed on a sliding scale depending on the number of schools attending.
This is to make it affordable for all, and schools are free to share out costs between themselves as they deem fit, so a smaller school in a cluster might pay less than a larger school, for example. We invoice the lead school for the whole amount and they can share the costs accordingly.
Keynote Talks: Fees start at £650 (for talks in London or the South East that do not involve an overnight stay). Exact fees depend on location, expected number of delegates, dates, travel costs, etc. Please get in touch with us for further information. For a £100 supplement I can offer a workshop on the same day if requested.
N.B. For longer-term school-based projects, of three days or more, where I will work alongside your teachers in their classrooms, prices are typically much lower, to reflect the commitment to staff development over the course of a term or a year. Please get in touch to discuss bespoke training of this sort.
WHOLE DAY INSET (9am – 3pm)
SIngle School
£850* + VAT
Two Schools
£525* per school
Three Schools
£425* per school
Four or more Schools
£350* per school
*These fees are reduced by 10% if training is delivered virtually rather than in person.
HALF DAY INSET (up to 2.5 hours):
SIngle School
£500* + VAT
Two Schools
£300* per school
Three Schools
£250* per school
Four or more Schools
£200* per school
*These fees are reduced by 10% if training is delivered virtually rather than in person.
FACE-TO-FACE or ONLINE TWILIGHT TRAINING (60-90 minutes)
Sometimes it’s just not possible to fit in a day of CPD, so after-school staff meetings are the best remaining option. Depending on the location of your school and our consultant, it may not always be practical to do these in person, so since the start of the March 2020 lockdowns, we have built a secure online training room with good sound, lighting, visualiser and internet access. This means we are well-equipped to deliver online training and have successfully produced several webinars, CPD sessions, and live events. This is more difficult to cost, as theoretically any number of people could join, but we have decided to keep costs experimentally low at the moment as follows:
SIngle School
£350* + VAT
Two Schools
£225* per school
Three Schools
£175* per school
Four Schools
£125* per school
In-School Support and Mentoring
This is, without doubt, one of the most impactful and rewarding forms of CPD there is.
Support days are different to INSET ‘delivery’ days. They are designed for a small group of your teachers to work alongside one of our consultants to develop teaching and learning, and can be in-class, out of class, or a mixture. Ideal for SLT or subject leadership to help support them and develop a pathway for mathematics in their setting.
Due to the fact that less preparation time is required, the cost of these days is just £500, and if a block booking of three dates is made, this drops to just £400 per day.
OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.
Deposit: No deposit is required, as we find schools to be very honest places to deal with, but all CPD invoices should be settled by the day of the visit please.
Overnight stays, or travel times of over 2.5 hours each way from the consultant’s home address (as per Google Maps) are charged at £100. Note – you will be charged for EITHER one or the other – NOT both.
Travel is costed at 50ppm to and from the consultant’s home. The new normal is a tricky time for us all, so we have not raised fees, and in some cases even reduced them.
These costs apply ONLY to the UK, and only to individual schools or local federations; for conferences or other special events, please contact us for a bespoke quotation.
Here is all we require from schools in return:
Commitment to dates and fees: As a small business, we require that payment be made on or before the date of the visit. This helps with cash flow and ensures that we can pay our consultants promptly.
Engagement: For CPD to be effective, it is vital that staff engage willingly with it. This might mean that senior leaders clear their diaries for the day in order to attend the sessions, which will send a clear signal to staff that they value this. Days typically run from 9am to 3pm, with appropriate breaks, though these timings are flexible.
Open-Mindedness: Many things will be familiar, others will be new, and it is important that staff are both able and willing to reflect critically on their own practice in the light of the CPD.
We realise that unforeseen things can happen, so cancellations can be made at least 8 weeks in advance without penalty. However, any later than this is likely to impact on our ability to fill the date, so for cancellations between 8 weeks and 1 week prior to the event starting, we will invoice for 50% of the fee, as well as any un-recoverable travel costs that may already have been incurred, such as hotel bills or train fares. Any event cancelled within a week of the start date will be chargeable at the full rate.