Kirsty Allen becomes new Managing Director

Kirsty Allen becomes new Managing Director

Good Morning,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share some important news regarding our organization. After a period of leadership change, I am honoured to step up as the new Managing Director and Responsible officer of CFI Awarding.

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to Sam, who will continue in his role as the Awarding Manager, and to Nick, who will remain as our Academic Administrator. Their efforts and dedication have been instrumental in driving our organization’s success, and I look forward to working closely with them to ensure a seamless transition and continued excellence in our services.

As the new Managing Director, my primary focus is to provide you, our valued centres, with the highest level of support and service. I understand the importance of our partnership and the vital role you play in delivering quality education and training to learners. Rest assured that my commitment to maintaining the integrity and reputation of our organization remains steadfast.

In line with our commitment to continuous improvement, we will be undergoing a rebranding process. As part of this initiative, we will be introducing new email addresses for our team members, including myself, Sam, Nick and the EQAs. This update will enable more efficient and effective communication between our organization and your centre. We will share the details of our new email addresses in the coming days, and we kindly request that you update your contact records accordingly.

I believe in the power of collaboration and open dialogue. Your input and feedback are crucial to our continuous improvement. I encourage you to share any thoughts, suggestions, or concerns you may have. Together, we can work towards our common goal of providing learners with the best possible educational experience and ensuring their success.

I am excited about the journey ahead and the opportunity to work closely with each of you. As we embark on this new chapter together, please know that my door is always open. I am here to support you, answer any questions you may have, and address any challenges that may arise.

Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. I am confident that our collective efforts will drive positive outcomes and contribute to the growth and success of your centre. Should you have any immediate inquiries or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at kirsty.allen@cfiawarding.com or our dedicated team.

Here’s to a prosperous future together!

Warmest regards,

Kirsty Allen

Managing Director & Responsible Officer 

CFI Awarding Ltd

Lou Doliczny steps down as CEO

Lou Doliczny steps down as CEO

Dear Colleagues,

This is to announce that our Group CEO, Lou Doliczny will be leaving us at the end of February 2023.

Lou has been with Crossfields Institute since 2014 and has contributed hugely to the organisation over that time. She has been a strong and consistent advocate of our work, and as CEO has steered the organisation over the past 3 years through the challenges of COVID. We are immensely grateful to her, and she will not be disappearing completely, but may from time to time be involved in our projects.

Lou and her family have recently moved to Devon and she intends to find interesting professional roles as well as spending more time on another passion of hers – sailing. The Trustees would like to thank her for her amazing service and commitment over the last few years and we wish her well.

Trustees are looking ahead to the next phase for the charity and are committed to ensuring strong leadership and maintaining good governance for Crossfields Institute. We are keen to build on our network of affiliated organisations and continue to evolve as an organisation.

With this in mind, the existing Core Leadership Team will continue to lead the vision and values of CFI for the foreseeable future and are excited about this new chapter for the organisation.

If you have any questions about this, please get in touch.

Best Wishes,

Crossfields Institute

 

Work with us

Work with us

 

Crossfields Institute is a growing organisation, always looking out for talented individuals to join the team. If you have an interest in integrative education, regenerative social practice or transformative learning, and the skills to make a difference, why not get in touch with us?

External Quality Assurers (EQA)

We are seeking experienced subject specialists with understanding and experience of awarding organisation quality assurance processes in the following curriculum areas:

Health and social care – nutrition and lifestyle coaching, herbalism, trauma-informed approaches to health, care and education, equine facilitated psychotherapy, integrative healthcare, osteopathy, anthroposophic skincare

Teaching and learning – higher level teaching qualifications and therapeutic education

Agriculture, horticulture and forestry – biodynamic agriculture, agroforestry, community orcharding

Child development and well-being –Steiner Waldorf, Pikler and Montessori approaches

Foundations for learning and life – integrated qualifications for school age learners at levels 2 & 3

Qualification Developers

We are also looking for individuals with experience of writing and developing Regulated Qualifications.

Application by CV and covering letter or email. 

For more information and general enquiries, contact info@cfiawarding.com

Submission deadline: Ongoing

It is time to create a better email culture in the workplace

We believe that it is high time to create a better email culture in the workplace that allows us to use this medium of communication as a tool for progress rather than allowing our inbox to become a bottomless pit which we dread to engage with. The use of emails represents vast limitations as well as immense potential. Finding the right balance is difficult – and it requires that we embody what good practice means. When it comes to emails, there is a fine line between productivity and obsession. We are glad to see that Jocelyn K. Glei is giving a workshop in London, organised by the Guardian, on the 16th of November.

And while you are at it, take a moment to read her piece on reflection and productivity.

Rethinking the way we work

The notion that we can be productive, innovative, reflective and empathetic within a 60 hour working week is ludicrous. BBC has looked at teachers and their working week: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37585982.

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Teachers often feel weighed down by marking.

What will it take to create systemic, lasting change? How many unhappy and stressed colleagues out there do we need to witness before employers, leaders and governors wake up? We don’t claim to have the solution at Crossfields Institute but so far we can conclude that our efforts to create a more sensible working pattern for staff produces as many, if not more, positive outcomes for our beneficiaries. We get the job done because we are more effective, focused and present.

Has a more condensed and flexible working week removed all our stresses? No. Has it completely removed the sense of overwhelm we sometimes get? No. Has it made us more resilient and healthier? Yes. Less days off due to illness than before. Has it had a positive impact on motivation? Absolutely. All in all, there is no good reason for employers to promote 50-60 hour working weeks. No one wins. With happy and healthy colleagues that are motivated, everyone wins.