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PETERBOROUGH’S ‘PARENT GUIDE TO GCSE’ RECOGNISED AS ONE OF UK’s MOST IMPRESSIVE FIRMS
‘Parent Guide to GCSE’ in Peterborough has been selected as one of the nation’s 100 most impressive small firms by the Small Business Saturday UK campaign, as it kicks off its second decade in the UK.
Husband-and-wife team Emily & Paul Hughes founded the Parent Guide to GCSE in 2019. The two ex-teachers set up the online business to support parents with teens in Year 10-13, giving them expert advice and support, as well as the tools to support their teens so they can get the best results they can.
Following a nationwide search, it has been chosen as part of this year’s SmallBiz100 line-up, which showcases a line-up of 100 of the most inspiring independent businesses from across the nation.
"We are thrilled to have been selected as a SmallBiz100 this year! We left our teaching careers to start the Parent Guide, hoping we’d be able to have a bigger impact on education from outside of schools, so it’s really lovely to be recognised for the difference we’re making to parents and their teens." Emily Hughes
Small Business Saturday will return on 2 December 2023, with a mission to support and celebrate the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses. With small firms facing huge challenges due to the cost-of-living crisis, the campaign is more vital than ever as it moves in to its second decade in the UK.
Parent Guide to GCSE will be profiled by the campaign on 13th November as part of the 100-day countdown to Small Business Saturday UK, and will be featured when the team visit Peterborough that day on their tour.
“It’s fantastic to celebrate Parent Guide to GCSE as part of this year’s campaign” said Michelle Ovens CBE, Director of Small Business Saturday UK.
“The impressive small businesses featured in this year’s SmallBiz100 sum up the phenomenal contribution that small firms make to our economy and local communities.”
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to 'shop local' and to support businesses in their communities.
The campaign was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, and the brand remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK.
On Small Business Saturday customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses, from independent boutiques and eateries to small service and b2b based businesses like wholesalers and digital marketers. Many small businesses take an active role in promoting the day by hosting events and offering promotions.
Over the time the campaign has run in the UK it has engaged millions of people each year and seen over billions of pounds spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday attracts huge attention on the day itself, with an impact that lasts all year. Last year the campaign trended at number one in the UK on social media platform X (formally Twitter), with the Prime Minister and the Mayor of London among those publicly supporting the campaign. Over 90% of local councils also supported the campaign.
To get involved in Small Business Saturday UK visit https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com
CONTACT US
Please direct all media enquiries to:
Emily Hughes
emily@parentguidetoeducation.com
01733 602236
or 07590 268750 (media enquiries only please)
COMPANY OVERVIEW
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Parent Guide to GCSE was founded in 2019 by Emily and Paul Hughes.
They're a husband-and-wife team from Peterborough with over 30 years teaching experience between them.
They quickly expanded to include the Parent Guide to Post-16, allowing them to support parents with teens in Y10 to Y13.
The main focus of the Parent Guide is a membership providing parents with expert advice and guidance, so that they can feel confident about supporting their teen through the exam years.
They also offer tools for teens to help them develop their study skills and prepare for their exams.
At Parent Guide, we have a passion for helping parents & their teens.
We worked in schools for over 30 years between us, and we know that the education system is broken.
It’s not the fault of schools. Between league tables, Ofsted, and the expectation that they’ll be able to keep doing all the things they used to, despite the constant budget cuts, it’s almost impossible.
Teachers have an insane workload, and therefore there’s simply not enough time to get to know students well enough to help them succeed.
That’s why, as ex-teachers, with the time and the experience, we want to help you do that.
Nobody knows your child like you do. Imagine if you also knew exactly how to help them learn, and reach their full potential. Imagine how much more confident they’d be, and how much less stressful their exams would be.
That’s why we’re here. To help you help them.
Emily has a Masters from Cambridge University in Mathematics with Education. She was a Head of Maths and a Lead Practitioner during her 15 years in teaching.
Following a less-than-healthy work environment, she had what she refers to as her mental-health ‘wobble’. She decided afterwards that her sanity was too important to risk, and left teaching to start up a business.
She can usually be found tapping away at a computer while providing a comfy seat for a cat.
In July of 2020, she published the ‘GCSE Survival Guide for Parents‘, and regularly appears on radio & TV.
Paul has degrees in Geography and ICT. He spent much of his teaching career as lead UCAS tutor & Head of ICT/Computing.
(At one point he was also head of Business Studies, Childcare & Development and Health & Social Care and Hair and Beauty... which we all found quite entertaining.)
He has an incredible wealth of completely useless football trivia, and is also often found under a cat.
Most importantly, he makes a killer creme brûlée.
TJ
Social Media Manager
TJ keeps our social media running smoothly
Lisa
Guest Relationships Manager
Lisa finds us our incredible podcast guests
Nick
Website Ninja
Nick is the legend who fixes everything Emily breaks
... AND WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THESE GUYS!
Parent Guide Images
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Credit: Paul Giles, Camerascape
Parent Guide Tagline
Knowledge beats nagging!
TALK TV APPEARANCE: IS OFSTED FIT FOR PURPOSE?
Emily appeared alongside Sir Michael Wilshaw on Talk TV's breakfast show to discuss Ofsted reform on Tuesday 28th November 2023.
SMALL BUSINESSES IN PETERBOROUGH CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESSES DURING NATIONAL ROADSHOW
TALK TV: THE RETURN OF OFSTED INSPECTIONS
Monday 22nd January 2024: Emily returned to Talk TV breakfast to discuss the return of Ofsted inspections (following their brief pause for mental health training), and the impact it will have on schools.
SHOULD SMARTPHONES BE BANNED FOR UNDER 16s?
Thursday 21st March 2024: Emily weighed in on the debate around smartphones for children, following a survey by Parentkind suggesting most parents agree they are harmful for under-16s.
