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Explore our upcoming Insight Days and WEX placements

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Explore our upcoming Insight Days and WEX placements

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Open for individual student applications only.

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Welcome to our work experience opportunities page - the perfect place to start your career journey! Explore the latest placements on offer from hundreds of employers across a wide range of industries.

Search for a specific employer or use the filters on the right to help you find online placements based on your age or the industry you're interested in. Then simply click on the 'Read more' button to go through to our portal to apply.

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Unlock Exciting School Work Experience Opportunities!

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Discover transformative school work experience opportunities with industry experts. Elevate your skills and start your journey with Speakers for Schools.

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Explore our upcoming Discovery Workshops

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Explore our upcoming Discovery Workshops

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Open for group bookings by teachers only

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A Discovery Workshop is a 1-2 hour session which enables live employer interaction with large groups of young people virtually, aged 11-13 or 14-19, via our Google Meet platform within a classroom setting or whole year groups. Please note these sessions can only be booked by an educator or school and are not open to direct applications from students. If you are a young person looking to apply for work experience opportunities, please visit our Work Experience pag e to see what's on offer and apply directly.
Open to students from across the UK (unless otherwise specified), employers will deliver a variety of light touch content about their organisation, sector, career pathways, job roles and hot topics - including presentations, video content, panel discussions, virtual workplace tour, Q&A sessions.

Discovery Workshops can also be designed with pre and post-placement activities that help to deliver against Gatsby Benchmark 5 and can also support curriculum learning and contribute to Gatsby Benchmark 4. Employers will tailor content to the age group specified in the advert so that teachers can chose the right option for their students.
To book a FREE workshop for your students please use the booking form provided

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Discovery Workshops | Speakers for Schools

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A Discovery Workshop is a 1-2 hour session which enables live employer interaction with large groups of young people virtually, aged 11-13 or 14-19, via our Google Meet platform within a classroom setting or whole year groups. Please note these sessions can only be booked by an educator or school and are not open to direct applications from students.

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Fully funded virtual work experience for Year 9s in rural and coastal schools

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Fully funded virtual work experience for Year 9s in rural and coastal schools

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Engineering Careers & Apprenticeships at London Gatwick

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Engineering Careers & Apprenticeships at London Gatwick

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Check out this Document (A4) designed by education relationship managers.

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NAW: Apprenticeships with Virgin Media O2 - virtual discovery workshop

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NAW: Apprenticeships with Virgin Media O2 - virtual discovery workshop

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Discover Virgin Media O2 Apprenticeships! - Virgin Media O2
Industry: Computing & IT

Target Area for Student Applications: UK wide

Date: 08/02/2024

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Ages: 14-19

Application Closing Date: 25/01/2024

Opportunity ID: PL-5744

Are your students asking themselves...

'What is it like to work for a global telecommunications and technology company?'

'How can I kick start my career with a global brand like Virgin Media O2?'

Sign up to our #NAW virtual workshop and empower your students to discover how they can propel their career with a Virgin Media O2 apprenticeship!

With new apprenticeships being released all year round, the variety available is wider than ever. Whether your students want to be out and about helping customers, diving into the data that drives the business, or connecting communities through network expansion, there's something for everyone.

So join us on 8th February at 10am to meet current Apprentices and the Virgin Media O2 Future Careers team!
To book a workshop for your students please use the booking form.

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Discover Virgin Media O2 Apprenticeships! - Virgin Media O2 | Speakers for Schools

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Discover Virgin Media O2 Apprenticeships! - Virgin Media O2 Industry: Computing & IT Target Area for Student Applications: UK wide Date: 08/02/2024 Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am Ages: 14-19 Application Closing Date: 25/01/2024 Opportunity ID: PL-5744 Are your students asking themselves... 'What is it like to work for a global telecommunications and technology company?'

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Visit our NTBC webpage for more information.

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Visit our NTBC webpage for more information.

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in partnership with Penguin

Our online book club for state schools and colleges is a school reading group with a difference. Created to help 11-19-year-olds enjoy reading within a welcoming peer community, it introduces six books for teens over the course of a year and includes opportunities to meet a diverse range of speakers and industry experts. Educators will need to create a Speakers for Schools account to take part.

Already have a Speakers for Schools educator account? Sign in here

Tell your students these 4 reasons

why they should take part

Find out about our featured reads

For every featured read, we hold four dedicated live events on Wednesdays from 3.30 to 4.30 pm.

We start the new academic year with a trailblazing verse novel about finding your voice and freedom from expectations by Manjeet Mann.

Our schedule is now shaping up and you can sign up now for the first live event taking place in September 2023.

The One Memory of Flora Banks - Emily Barr

The One Memory of Flora Banks

A story of bravery, secrecy and lies, love and loss.

Got a Speakers for Schools account?
Now take part in 4 simple steps

Educator Selects Picks

Select the featured reads for your school/college.

Order Books

Order copies of the book in advance for your students.

Advertise to Students

Collate the names of students who wish to take part.

Join In

Join the online live events using the links we send you!

Develop a reading culture in your school

Hundreds of schools have taken part in National Teen Book Club since its launch. Here's what just a handful of the school staff who have joined us previously have had to say...

Watch our short video to see how it works

In just one minute you'll discover everything you need to know about our enriching online book club.

Share it with your students to inspire their next chapter!

Answers to your Frequently Asked Questions

Speakers for Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all users, whether that is in a classroom, workplace environment, or in a virtual setting. Access the full Safeguarding Policy Statement here.
Please note: as you would expect, the educator retains primary responsibility for student behaviour and safeguarding.

We primarily cater to young people aged 14-19 as the featured reads fall under the category of Young Adult fiction (YA fiction) which is aimed at readers aged 14+. However, in response to requests, we will allow young people aged 11-13 to take part provided you as the educator are happy to support their participation. Trigger warnings will be issued in advance and it will be at your discretion to decide whether you deem the reading material suitable for all the students in your group. Readers read at their own pace, so there is no pressure to keep to a reading schedule.

The only cost for taking part is the charge for purchasing the heavily discounted book! We'll explain how to order at a discount once you're school or college is registered. You may also be able to get discounted audiobook or eBook for some titles.

To participate, you (the educator) will need to register your student group with our easy and safeguarded system and ensure that each young person has access to our featured book. National Teen Book Club is delivered online via Microsoft Teams, which means that you can include an unlimited number of young people from your school or college in your student group. For each featured read, we run four weekly live events that take place on Wednesdays from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm. The event link is shared via email with you (the educator) and it will fall to you to ensure that there is a responsible adult on site with your students to supervise and facilitate each of the weekly sessions in a classroom or assembly hall at your school/college's premises. There will be points during the live events when you and your students can opt to join in by appearing on camera, speaking over the microphone or writing comments in the chat. Please be aware that we record all the live events and will be making them publicly available via our website afterwards, so you will need to check your school policies and permissions with regard to consent. We have a template consent form for parents HERE.

No specialist training is required. We recommend downloading the Teams app for ease, then simply click the event links to join the live sessions. We will guide you through the rest.

National Teen Book Club encourages young people to read widely for pleasure while developing knowledge, skills, and confidence in responding critically, evaluatively, and creatively. The programme provides a chance to read, understand, and share a personal response to a selection of six different texts over the course of the year, examining the language, form, and structure used by the writer and considering each individual book's themes in relation to its context.

Young Adult fiction (YA fiction) deals with topical, challenging, and sometimes controversial themes, many of which link to the PSHE curriculum, and which are often explored from new perspectives.

As well as being an enrichment activity that can enhance literacy and critical thinking skills, National Teen Book Club offers a novel way to supplement your students' careers education. Over the course of the live events, students will gain a greater insight into careers in publishing, meet people working in a wide range of roles, and build their employability skills. As such, this programme meets Gatsby Benchmark 5.

National Teen Book Club links to the Skills Builder Framework for essential skills - most closely the skills of Listening and Speaking. There will be plenty of opportunities for your students to practice these skills, but to develop these skills, they must actively participate in the discussion groups. As their facilitator, any help you can provide to encourage your students' active participation will assist them in this regard.

Ideally, you and your entire student group will need to join us for each of the four live events relating to the featured read to gain the full benefit of the programme. If your class - or an individual student - misses one, they'll be able to watch the recording back on Vimeo via our website. We know things may come up which prevent you attending on occasion too: rest assured that any adult facilitator from your school/college is able to cover the session. Please note that we do not expect students to follow a reading schedule so there is no pressure to read the book at a certain pace.

We read a diverse range of books and enjoy six specially selected picks per academic year. Past featured reads from the last academic year (2022 to 2023) have included novels by Femi Fadugba, Karen M. McManus, Natasha Bowen, Mariam Ansar, Jenny Ireland, and Jen St. Jude. Details of our upcoming books will be shared on the website as they are announced. You can also stay up-to-date by signing up to our mailing list

No specialist training is required. You can simply click the event link sent via email to join the live sessions. We will guide you through the rest.

If you have any further questions,

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Join the National Teen Book Club | Speakers for Schools

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Join the National Teen Book Club and work with award-winning authors and our network UK state-schools book clubs. Gain insights from authors, illustrators, publishers, and literary agents. Sign up for our next session starting 20th September 2023.

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Virtual Discovery Workshop: Discover the Glass & Glazing sector

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Virtual Discovery Workshop: Discover the Glass & Glazing sector

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What is the Glass & Glazing Sector all about?? - Glass and Glazing Federation
Industry: Construction

Target Area for Student Applications: UK wide

Date: 07/12/2023

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Ages: 14-19 & 16-19

Application Closing Date: 27/11/2023
Opportunity ID: PL-5332
During 'What is the Glass & Glazing Sector all about'? your students will have a comprehensive overview of the sector. . They will learn about the sectors history, importance, and gain an understanding about what opportunities could be available to them.

The GGF is the most influential Trade Federation in the industry, with the GGF community of members making up over 60% of the sector's £4 billion annual turnover. The GGF has represented the industry since 1977. We are recognised by government for our in-house technical expertise, our training offering is second to none and our advocacy department helps to host and influence key government stakeholders when it comes to legislation.
The GGF gives your company a voice, a platform and a standing in the industry.

Your students will get an understanding of the ways the sector works and how The Glass & Glazing Federation supports everything to do with the sector. They will also understand how the GGF & its members can support you with employment, training and a scheme called the 'Skilled Pathways Scheme' that will help you learn whilst you earn. Students will also learn about career opportunities and various career routes they can undertake.

We will give your students a look at the buildings & projects the GGF & its Members have been involved in the UK, but also around the world.
To book a workshop for your students please use the booking form.

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What is the Glass & Glazing Sector all about?? - Glass and Glazing Federation

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Your students will get an understanding of the ways the sector works and how The Glass & Glazing Federation supports everything to do with the sector. They will also understand how the GGF & its members can support you with employment, training and a scheme called the 'Skilled Pathways Scheme' that will help you learn whilst you earn.

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Upcoming Opportunities Flyer - for Educators

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Upcoming Opportunities Flyer - for Educators

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Upcoming Opportunities Flyer - for Students

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Upcoming Opportunities Flyer - for Students

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How Educators register for the NTBC - video guide

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How Educators register for the NTBC - video guide

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NTBC webpage tutorial for educators - sign up and access resources

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End of Year Summer Newsletter for Educators

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End of Year Summer Newsletter for Educators

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Please see our upcoming live Inspiration Broadcasts!

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Please see our upcoming live Inspiration Broadcasts!

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Visit this webpage to book a speaker for your school.

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Speakers for Schools is excited to present its weekly broadcast schedule! This schedule will be updated regularly and talks will be targeted to different age groups are accessible via signing up using the registration from links below. registration closes at 12pm the day before the broadcast date - links are then sent out by email that afternoon.

Tips on participating in the Broadcast
To access the talks, links should be opened in a browser that is not Internet Explorer and students should join the live event anonymously, there is no need to create a log in.
Students wishing to see subtitles for the broadcast can turn them on via the panel on the right-hand side of the screen.

Further guidance on how to access talks can be found here.

Questions for speakers can be submitted via Q+A Function during the talk which will be made live for students to submit questions. The questions submitted will be moderated by a member of the SFS team and approved if relevant.

We send out the join link to our broadcasts the day before. Should you require the join link earlier, please email broadcasts@speakersforschools.org

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Upcoming Broadcasts | Speakers for Schools Events

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Stay updated with Speakers for Schools' weekly broadcast schedule. Engage in enlightening talks targeted for different age groups. Register now and join the conversation!

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End of Spring Term 'Good News-letter' for Educators

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End of Spring Term 'Good News-letter' for Educators

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Student Newsletter - featuring work experience from Easter to Summer!

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Student Newsletter - featuring work experience from Easter to Summer!

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SfS NTBC Flyer For Educators_Digital.pdf

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SHIELDS x SFS Partnership: Supporting our communities and the workforce of the future.

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SHIELDS x SFS Partnership: Supporting our communities and the workforce of the future.

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Here at Shields, we believe in empowering the next generation of the workforce by building skills which will last a lifetime. Find out how our HR team are working towards this in local schools, through our Speakers for Schools partnership.

At Shields, we have a foundation of investing in talent and supporting existing employees to develop and fulfil their career aspirations. This strategy has not only served to build a thriving business but has also resulted in some very long and happy professional partnerships.

In addition to nurturing our existing talent, Shields understands the importance of looking to the future. As such, we have teamed up with the educational inequality charity Speakers for Schools, to support the talent of tomorrow. Speakers for Schools aims to provide all young people access to the prestigious networks made available to attendees of fee-paying schools in the UK to help bridge the gap. Decreasing the statistical likelihood of school leavers becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) and limiting their talent pipelines.

"Speakers for Schools is an amazing charity," says George Stone, our Director of HR. "Through this collaboration, we've been able to reach out to several schools in Essex & Surrey and arrange employability workshops for students aged 15-18. I believe there is a gap between education and employment that students can struggle with. The guidance is not always available - so partnering with this charity, to provide more insight and practical advice feels like it can really make a difference."

"At Shields, we are passionate about creating a culture of open communication and we're bringing this ethos to the workshops. As well as offering the participants insights into the world of work, including how to actually build a CV as a teenager with no experience, and how to demonstrate individuality in their applications - this also gives a great insight into the younger generations that could one day be working for our business. We thoroughly enjoyed opening dialogues with the next generation of the workforce and building connections with talented young individuals."

After our HR team visited Brentwood Ursuline Convent High students were asked how they found the session. One student said, "I really enjoyed George and Michael's talk it was highly interesting, and I feel more catered to what I am looking for as it will help me beyond sixth form." Another said, "I enjoyed learning about how to construct a CV as it was useful, and I had no clue on how to do it."

When asked if they found the session helpful one student explained. "Definitely... I took plenty of notes and will definitely use them." Followed by their classmate who said, "George and Michael's talk, as it was very informative." Finally, another student expressed, "I loved the information about the CV and how to structure them."

Following the success of the initial workshops, Shields will be running five further sessions in the first half of 2023. "The reception from the students has been very positive so far, and we're delighted to be working with Speakers for Schools again next year," says Michael Long, our People & Development Manager. "It's been a real privilege to spend time face-to-face with such inspiring and engaged young people, and we're thrilled to be able to help them prepare for life after school and support their ambitions for the future."

Speakers for Schools announced that together our workshops have reached 430 students in 2022 and here at Shields we're excited to continue to reach more local students throughout 2023. Shields' social policy is not only concerned with the positive impact that the business has on our internal workforce but also on the broader community. By reaching out to schools in the surrounding area, it has been possible for us to build new relationships and support local education. These workshops are also closely connected to Shields' ESG strategy but most importantly our local community.
To find out more about our work in our local communities with Speakers for Schools, contact HR Director George Stone at [email protected]

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Supporting our community and the workforce of the future

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At Shields, we have a foundation of investing in talent and supporting existing employees to develop and fulfil their career aspirations. This strategy has not only served to build a thriving business but has also resulted in some very long and happy professional partnerships.

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How work experience helped pave the way for Anna to secure an apprenticeship.

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How work experience helped pave the way for Anna to secure an apprenticeship.

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Links to our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter pages.

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Flying the flag for Team South East at the Basildon Careers Fair 2022

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Flying the flag for Team South East at the Basildon Careers Fair 2022

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Visit our broadcast library to access some of our pre-recorded inspiration talks!

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Visit our broadcast library to access some of our pre-recorded inspiration talks!

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Broadcast Video Library | Speakers for Schools

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Explore a diverse library of inspirational talks from renowned speakers. Dive into topics ranging from culture, heritage, and more with Speakers for Schools.

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South East Opportunities Flyer - 02.09.22

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Ellie Lambert - Education Relationship Manager for South East. Covering: Kent, Medway, Essex, Herts, Sussex, Brighton and Hove, North/East Hampshire (north of M27) and Surrey.                                                  Contact Ellie: ellie.lambert@speakersforschools.org or phone +447467837847

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Ellie Lambert - Education Relationship Manager for South East. Covering: Kent, Medway, Essex, Herts, Sussex, Brighton and Hove, North/East Hampshire (north of M27) and Surrey.                                                  Contact Ellie: ellie.lambert@speakersforschools.org or phone +447467837847

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Jenny Miller - Education Relationship Manager for South East. Covering: Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, South/West Hampshire (incl. Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, the New Forest, the M27 corridor and the Solent waterway). Contact Jenny: jenny.miller@speakersforschools.org

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Jenny Miller - Education Relationship Manager for South East. Covering: Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, South/West Hampshire (incl. Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, the New Forest, the M27 corridor and the Solent waterway). Contact Jenny: jenny.miller@speakersforschools.org

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Student Handbook - please share this with students and parents

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Student Handbook - please share this with students and parents

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Logging onto your virtual experience  - Help Guide

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Logging onto your virtual experience  - Help Guide

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Logging onto your virtual experience (1)

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Educator Guide - with information about our services and useful links

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Educator Guide - with information about our services and useful links