Twinkl provides teachers with improved work/life balance

1st June 2018

Thousands of teachers are improving their work/life balance by using resources provided by award-winning online educational publisher, Twinkl, which it is hoped will increase staff retention within the profession.

A report published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in January 2018 revealed more than 34,900 qualified teachers left their careers in 2016 due to heavy workload. However, in a poll* conducted by the Sheffield-based educational resource provider, 97 per cent agreed that Twinkl has helped to improve their work/life balance. The survey, answered by 6,354 teachers around the globe, also found that 96 per cent of respondents agreed that using resources from Twinkl saved time during lesson planning and preparation. Michael Tidd, headteacher at Medmerry Primary School, in Selsey, West Sussex, said: -Making resources is time consuming and the time it takes to produce something of high quality is time that teachers don't have. -It was in a moment of despair that I turned to Twinkl - it's great to have a selection of resources, pitched at the appropriate age group that give me structure and content. -Over the years I've found myself increasingly turning to Twinkl for bit of inspiration, a key resource, or even just that little something to plug a gap. As the site grows broader, I often find myself thinking, 'I wonder if there's already something on Twinkl?'" Founded in 2010 by Jonathan and Susie Seaton, Twinkl has more than 500,000 quality classroom resources currently used in the majority of UK schools, including lesson packs, planning, assessment and display materials, all created in-house. Jonathan Seaton, CEO at Twinkl, said: -We are delighted to see how much difference our resources are making to teachers' lives. -Twinkl's teaching community is the inspiration behind everything we do. It's the heart of Twinkl, and we're able to create the best resources and services possible thanks to the amazing feedback, ideas and time shared by millions of teachers worldwide. Many of the staff at Twinkl are ex-teachers meaning the materials on offer are created by teachers for teachers. Susie Seaton, Co-Founder at Twinkl and former teacher, said: -I can still remember coming home from work as a primary school teacher and feeling frustration at not being able to access any teaching resources. -Like many colleagues, I'd spend my evenings and weekends making my own, so I understand how difficult it can be for teachers to find a good work/life balance. -This is what made us realise we could create a business that would supply quality resources and help those who teach. Understanding the challenges teachers face on a daily basis is what motivates Twinkl to push boundaries, develop new products and expand the ways we help those who teach. With customers in more than 168 countries, including Christmas Islands, Twinkl has a focus on primary and pre-primary education, but is expanding rapidly into secondary materials. Twinkl has recently been named as a recipient of a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade, one of the UK's highest accolades for business success. For more information, visit www.twinkl.co.uk.