200 jobs as Tes Global makes multi-million pound move into Sheffield

The firm chose the city due to its growing reputation as a ‘global hotspot for education and edtech’.

It is taking space in 3 St Paul’s, an upmarket block on Norfolk Street in the city centre, set to become its second biggest site in the UK.

It is recruiting positions in finance, IT, data and analytics, customer services and sales account management - paying ‘industry-leading salaries’.

Tes Global publishes the world-renowned Times Educational Supplement, hosts a 10m strong online community of teachers, offers training and recruitment services and runs one of the UK’s biggest supply agencies, Vision for Education.

Chief executive Rob Grimshaw said: “We are delighted to be opening a new Tes operation in the heart of the country and have been thoroughly impressed by all that Sheffield has to offer.

“We are a trusted partner to schools, helping them find staff even when talent is scarce, and we emphasise value for money compared to the headhunter recruitment agencies with which we compete.

“We help schools’ stretched budgets go further, by providing recruitment services and access to the global teacher talent pool.”

The company will also move its existing staff in the city into 3 St Paul’s. Tes has an office in Concept House near Moorfoot and a Vision for Education branch in the Quadrant off the Parkway, employing about 30. Chief financial officer, Paul Simpson, will be based in the new offices when he starts this month.

The Times Educational Supplement was first published in the Times in 1910, today it is called Tes and longer has a connection with the newspaper. Tes Global is owned by US investment firm TPG Capital.

The firm says it is one of the largest teacher trainers in the UK, its 1,000th qualified earlier this year. Lesson plans and teaching resources have been downloaded more than a billionth times, it claims.

Mr Grimshaw added: “At Tes, we believe in the power of teachers to change lives and are proud to provide services that help them spend as much time as possible doing the most important part of their jobs – teaching children.”

Sheffield staff would be offered a range of benefits, including flexible working, he added.

3 St Paul’s is already home to building consultants Arup, Handelsbanken, law firm Freeths and architects BDP. HLM architects, is also moving in.

A GLOBAL EDUCATION HOTSPOT

Sheffield is a ‘global education hotspot’ due to the number of organisations already in residence.

They include scores of people working for the Department for Education in 2 St Paul’s, next door to the new Tes office.

Sheffield and Hallam universities have education schools. And the city is home to a range of cutting-edge ‘ed-tech’ firms including e-learning specialists Can Studios, Desq, Dreamm, City & Guilds Kineo and LEO Learning.

It is also home to Children’s Media Conference, ed-tech firms The Workshop, Tribal and Tutorful and education resources firm Twinkl.

Tutorful helps parents find the best local tutors for private, one-to-one tuition.

It uses reviews to rank teachers and claims to bring ‘trust and transparency’ to the £6bn UK tuition industry.

More than 100,000 lessons have been taught through the platform, by almost 10,000 tutors.

Last year, the firm raised £700,000 by crowdfunding.

It won a ‘Northern Star’ award from Tech North in November.

Esme Caulfield of Tech North said: “This year’s winners are true innovators and I look forward to working with our Northern Stars to help them to develop and reach their full potential”

TOP BUSINESS HONOUR FOR EDTECH STAR TWINKL

Twinkl is one of Sheffield’s education industry stars - it has just won a coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the UK’s highest business honour.

Just 230 firms were recognised nationally for their contribution to international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

Queen’s Awards are made annually to coincide with Her Majesty’s birthday on April 21.

Twinkl won for international trade. It publishes educational resources online, selling to 168 countries. Exports have grown 600 per cent in three years.

Founded in 2010 by Jonathan and Susie Seaton, it employs 430 worldwide and produces nearly 500,000 classroom resources, which it says are used in the majority of UK schools, including lesson packs, planning, assessment and display materials.

Jon Seaton, CEO at Twinkl, said: “In terms of recognition, this award is like rocket fuel. It is an internationally-respected accolade and we hope this will help Twinkl break into new markets.

“In a recent survey 97 per cent of our members agree that using Twinkl improves their work/life balance.”

Susie Seaton, co-founder, said: “We’re humbled to think that after just eight years of business, Twinkl has received The Queen’s Award.”