*Position Filled* We are looking for a Trustee

We are looking for a Trustee with the skills and experience to help a small education charity to scale up, further deepen impact, and put the foundations in place for sustainable growth over many years to come.

About The Economist Educational Foundation
We are an independent charity that was set up from inside The Economist newspaper in 2012.

Why we exist
A young person’s socioeconomic background powerfully determines the opportunities they will have in life. Inequality is clear in education, where young people eligible for free school meals are significantly less likely to get good GCSEs or go to university.

The Economist’s journalistic expertise can help to address this. Discussing the news can be a powerful way for young people to develop tools that can change their chances: knowledge of issues affecting their lives, critical thinking skills, literacy and confidence.

Our mission
Our mission is to tackle inequality by giving disadvantaged young people the skills to think for themselves about current affairs.

Our programme
Our programme, the Burnet News Club (BNC), is a network of weekly school news clubs. It develops students’ critical thinking skills through cognitively-challenging topical discussions in class and on a dedicated online learning platform.

Our impact

About the role
We are particularly keen to find a trustee with current experience in the UK education system. It would be a bonus if you understand the challenges that face a small charity, and are able to offer experienced insights and advice about tackling them. You will be committed to our mission and excited to support us in achieving our strategic goals in the coming years.

Charity Trustees have six main duties, in addition to any special areas of expertise that you may be able to contribute. Information about the duties of a charity Trustee can be found here.

This is a voluntary role.

Diversity and inclusion

We value diversity in all respects, including age, cultural identity, race, colour, ethnic origin, national origin, gender, religious beliefs, disability, class or sexual orientation. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone, which harnesses the experiences and perspectives of a diverse group of people.

Our strategic goals

In the coming year, we are focused on growing the reach of the Burnet News Club and further deepening its impact on disadvantaged young people.

Our goals for 2018 include:

  • Reach 100 schools: The BNC is currently in 71 schools. Schools must be non-fee-paying and non-academically-selective. We aim to reach a diverse range of communities where social mobility and educational attainment are low.
  • Build a new Burnet News Club online learning platform: This will enable young people to discuss topical issues across different communities, ages and perspectives. They will get bespoke feedback from leading experts on the topics and Economist Foundation staff, and the site will encourage strong critical thinking about the topics through competitions and rewards. See the current platform here.
  • Develop a new teacher training model: We are investing in a new programme of teacher training and support that will allow us to continue to raise the quality of teachers’ delivery of the club, and support them in areas important to our impact such as involving students most in need, or curriculum integration, while we scale up the club.
  • Develop BNC Live – our unique event format: BNC Live 2018 involved 1000+ students in 34 BNC schools across the UK in a virtual discussion. Discussion was stimulated by a fictional choose-your-own-adventure story explored through films, in-class activities, online debate, live input from experts, and an important choice that students were empowered to make. We are exploring ways to develop it in 2019 such as involving global experts live. See the platform for the 2018 event here: https://economist-education.wavecast.io/BNC-Live
  • Explore the potential of expanding outside the UK: We are testing elements of the programme in different education systems outside the UK, to make BNC online discussions global and explore expansion potential.
  • Pilot community hubs: We plan to test the impact of community hubs whereby we adapt the programme to help address community-specific priorities and facilitate collaboration and support between BNC schools in the region.
  • Develop a sustainable fundraising model: We have successfully diversified our funding sources in the past year. In 2018 we will continue to develop our new model for engaging supporters, and test some new fundraising ideas.

Current board members

  • Daniel Franklin, Diplomatic Editor, The Economist (Chairman)
  • Toby Burton, Finance Director, Global Circulation Analysis, The Economist Group
  • Michael Brunt, Chief Marketing Officer, The Economist Group
  • Martyn Caddick, Head of Corporate Partnerships, Teach First
  • Stephen Godsell, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Guardian Media Group
  • Company Secretary: Anna Samuelsson, Deputy Company Secretary, The Economist Group

Practical details

  • We are looking for a trustee to join the board immediately.
  • The board meets quarterly and meetings are usually held during working hours, either at The Economist’s headquarters in Canary Wharf or at the editorial office near Charing Cross.
  • Between meetings, the Chief Executive sometimes contacts Trustees to ask for their input on matters relevant to their particular expertise.
  • We occasionally have events, such as our summer awards ceremony, which Trustees may like to attend.

Who we are looking for

We are particularly keen to find a trustee with current experience in the UK education system. It would be a bonus if you understand the challenges that face a small charity, and are able to offer experienced insights and advice about tackling them. You will be committed to our mission and excited to support us in achieving our strategic goals in the coming years.

You must have:

  • Education experience.
  • A commitment to the Foundation and its objectives.
  • Integrity.
  • An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of being a Trustee.
  • Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to your duties as a Trustee.
  • Strategic vision.
  • Good, independent judgement.
  • An ability to think creatively.
  • Willingness to speak your mind.
  • An ability to work effectively as a member of a team.

You will need to have a DBS check (which the Foundation can organise).

Recruitment process

  • Please send your CV and a cover letter to emilyevans@economist.com.
  • Interviews will take place with the Chief Executive and the Chair of Trustees.
  • Closing date: March 15th 2018