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From September 2012, my show fees are £395 (plus travel & possible B&B) for a full day (of 2 or 3 shows), and £295 for a half day (of 1 or 2 shows).
The additional travel charge is based on return travel time/mileage from Bridge of Allan, near Stirling in Scotland (where I live), currently calculated as 45p per mile.
Finally, the overnight B&B accommodation cost must be added for any show venues which take more than about 2 hours to drive to from Keswick. This may be avoided if you only want an afternoon half-day, provided the venue can be reached within about 3 hours that morning.
If you are a previous client, or if you book two or more days, then you will receive an automatic 10% discount on the total daily fee (not including travel and any B&B accommodation costs).
I will usually invoice you on the day or soon after for the full amount, preferably for payment within 28 days maximum. I can invoice in advance if need be. I do not require any booking deposit.
That depends on the circumstances. I would likely charge 50% on the daily fee should you cancel within a few days of the booking date, unless the circumstances are significant.
Then you don’t pay – not a penny! You also get to keep any free teachers’ resources, and I will also send you £50 worth of Dr Mark resources – which you can choose - free of charge as compensation. This is in accordance with my ‘NO FEE GUARANTEE’, as described on my website and in my brochures.
The science shows are mostly suitable for pupils from age 4 upwards. The maths shows are mostly suitable for age 5/6 upwards. I do vary the contents from time to time, so best contact me to confirm the age of your pupils. The contents of each show do not vary that much for each age group; rather it is the delivery, pitch and expectations that are adapted to each audience age range.
Yes. These are usually made available to you as downloads from my website, with a user ID and password access, albeit within a limited time period. These teachers’ notes are usually taken from my published books and CDROMs, and have the same copyright and site licence applicable.
Most definitely! Lots of educational fun and intrigue for one and all!
You can have three shows of up to 60 minutes duration each, or two shows of up to 90 minutes duration each. I recommend shows for pupils age 4 to 6 years old to be no longer than about 45 minutes each.
You can have two shows of up to 60 minutes duration each, or one show of up to 90 minutes duration each. As stated above, I recommend shows for pupils age 4 to 6 years old to be no longer than about 45 minutes each.
Yes. I am more than happy to spend the morning at one school and the afternoon at another nearby school, splitting the costs accordingly. However, in such a case I can usually only fit in one show at each school. If you want three shows, a possible alternative here is that I stay in the same school for the whole day, and you arrange for the other school to have its pupils come to you for one or more of the shows.
If you are only having two shows in a half-day, then 15 minutes between each is fine. For a day of three shows, I usually prefer to do two shows in the morning and one in the afternoon after a lunch break. That said, I have sometimes delivered three shows in a row, though usually with a 30 minute gap between the second and third shows.
Most shows take about 30 to 45 minutes to set-up, and about 15 to 30 minutes to pull-down again. You need to factor this in for shows either side of a lunch break, where the room or hall is used for lunch. If the same shows are to be either side of lunch, and if the room or hall is used for lunch, then I can usually simply move the materials out of the way in about 5 or 10 minutes, often while the dinner staff are arranging the tables and chairs for their session. In such a case, I would usually need about 15 minutes to re-set the show again, though I can usually do this while the dinner staff are clearing away.
You can often have up to two different shows in any one day, though it does depend on what shows you are interested in, and the time gap between each show to allow for set-up and pull-down.
Yes. Though this will usually incur an additional charge of £150 for a show immediately after school hours and £225 for a show that starts an hour or more after school finishes.
Bearing in mind that much of the contents of the shows are ‘hand-held’ demos, or projected on-screen, everything depends upon how well the pupils furthest from the front of the group can see. As rules of thumb, if the pupils are sitting on their bottoms on the floor, then I would recommend a maximum group size of between 60 and 90 pupils, possible going up to 120 pupils if need be. If the pupils are sitting on chairs, then I would recommend a maximum group size of between 60 and 90 pupils.
A hall or gymnasium are ideal, though a room big enough for the group size is also fine, such as a classroom or lab.
Yes, but note that it does take time to set-up and pull-down a show, and this must be factored into your timetable of shows during the day should you want me to change rooms.
No. In fact, I prefer to stand and walk around down with the pupils, especially if they are sitting on their bottoms on the floor.
For most of my shows I need an electricity source, a small table, a data projector and linked computer (with PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat Reader), a screen, and an electrical extension lead. An overhead projector can also be useful for some shows, though only the type which is bottom-lit (from underneath the acetate plate) and which has a fold-down reflector arm. I can provide all of these but if helps me tremendously if the venue can provide as much as possible. You will need to tell me if you can’t provide any of the equipment listed so that I can bring my own. It is also useful if the room can be darkened slightly, even just with curtains, to make it easier to view the screen.
Most definitely! I insist on at least two or more staff being present AT ALL TIMES, mainly to be there should any emergency arise, and to deal swiftly with any pupils who are being disruptive in any way.
Yes. You can download details of my Public Liability insurance, Risk Assessments and CRB Enhanced Disclosure directly from the ‘Additional Information’ button on my website.
Most definitely YES! I must have a 100% guaranteed parking space available while I am with you, preferably as near to the building as possible to make it easier to unload my equipment. Please also note that the vehicle I usually drive is about 2 metres, or 6 ft 6 inches high, and so I am unable to park in some covered or multi-storey parking areas. There is absolutely no way that I can take any bookings without such a guaranteed parking space. Please note that, in the past, some city-based clients have asked me to park in a public metered parking bay in the road outside. As a general rule, I am unable to use these as they are not guaranteed, usually require revisits during the day to top up the parking fees, and usually don’t allow the same car to park for more than a limited time period
From September 2007, my current teachers’ CPD/INSET fees are as follows:
The additional travel charge is based on return travel time/mileage from Bridge of Allan, near Stirling in Scotland (where I live), currently calculated as 45p per mile.
Finally, the overnight B&B accommodation cost must be added for any venues which take more than about 2 hours to drive to from Keswick. This may be avoided if you only want an afternoon half-day or twilight session, provided the venue can be reached within about 3 hours that morning.
If you are a previous client, or if you book two or more days, then you will receive an automatic 10% discount on the total daily fee (not including travel and any B&B accommodation costs).
I will usually invoice you on the day or soon after for the full amount, preferably for payment within 28 days maximum. I can invoice in advance if need be. I do not require any booking deposit.
That depends on the circumstances. I would likely charge 50% on the daily fee should you cancel within a few days of the booking date, unless the circumstances are significant.
Then you don’t pay – not a penny! You also get to keep any free teachers’ resources, and I will also send you £50 worth of my Dr Mark resources – which you can choose - free of charge as compensation. This is in accordance with my ‘NO FEE GUARANTEE’, as described on my website and in my brochures.
Most of the material in the INSPIREscience CPD is useful for teachers’ of pupils age 3 or 4 upwards. Most of the material in the INSPIREmaths CPD is useful for teachers’ of pupils age 5 or 6 upwards. You will need to confirm with me the age of your pupils for any such CPD day or session.
Yes. The booking fee includes a free set of my science or maths books/CDROMs. Additional sets of resources can be ordered and purchased at a discounted rate.
Yes. For example, for a whole day booking I am more than happy to spend the morning at one school and the afternoon at another nearby school, splitting the costs accordingly. Alternatively, you could invite the staff from one or more other nearby schools to come to your school for the whole day, or half day or twilight session.
Most CPD days take about 45 to 60 minutes to set-up, and about 15 to 30 minutes to pull-down again.
Yes.
For whole day events, which include a good amount of hands-on activities for the teachers, you are looking at a maximum group size of about 35 staff. For half-day or twilight sessions, which are more ‘show and tell’ demos, then up to about 60 staff is fine. The important thing to note here with larger groups is how well the teachers at the back can see the projector screen at the front, and me holding up my various pieces of science or maths equipment.
As well as chairs and maybe tables for the staff, I need an electricity source, a small table, a data projector and linked computer (with PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat Reader), a screen, and an electrical extension lead. An overhead projector can also be useful for some shows, though only the type which is bottom-lit (from underneath the acetate plate) and which has a fold-down reflector arm. I can provide all of these but if helps me tremendously if the venue can provide as much as possible. You will need to tell me if you can’t provide any of the equipment listed so that I can bring my own. It is also useful if the room can be darkened slightly, even just with curtains, to make it easier to view the screen.
Yes. You can download details of my Public Liability insurance, Risk Assessments and CRB Enhanced Disclosure directly from the Additional Information button on my website.
Most definitely YES! I must have a 100% guaranteed parking space available while I am with you, preferably as near to the building as possible to make it easier to unload my equipment. Please also note that the vehicle I usually drive is about 2 metres, or 6 ft 6 inches high, and so I am unable to park in some covered or multi-storey parking areas. There is absolutely no way that I can take any bookings without such a guaranteed parking space. Please note that, in the past, some city-based clients have asked me to park in a public metered parking bay in the road outside. As a general rule, I am unable to use these as they are not guaranteed, usually require revisits during the day to top up the parking fees, and usually don’t allow the same car to park for more than a limited time period.
11th October 2007