Interactive learning designed for family life is at the heart of Burtie Learning. Chris and Leah Burton founded the company in 2018 following an idea to create a word-a-day toddler calendar.
The concept: make a new word meaningful each day with short activities; include music, French, art and number tracing to cover the Early Years Curriculum; build a keepsake full of memories. This married duo spent many nights developing and expanding the concept until ‘My First Calendar’ became a reality.
As parents of young children themselves, they were inspired to create products that fitted around the demands of daily life. Learning should be fun and engaging, not overwhelming and dull. Over breakfast, at the coffee table or after nursery, Burtie Learning products encourage short bursts of interaction that build special bonds with young children.
A team of experts have supported this fresh approach to Early Years initiatives. Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Experts and Healthcare Professionals have provided valuable input into the products while the manufacturing process has been supported by Imago Publishing.
With more exciting products planned, Chris and Leah have unexpectedly become ‘parentpreneurs’! Family life with their young children is full of adventure; this has inspired them to build a creative company that encourages a love for learning.
Leah Burton
“Experiencing the demands of looking after our young children, keeping the family home running and maintaining a career has inspired me to design products for busy family homes.”
Leah’s experience in management and her drive to learn new skills has been the backbone behind Burtie Learning. After specialising in arts education for her Masters, Leah values the importance of making education creative and interactive, inspiring her work with Burtie Learning.
CHRISTOPHER BURTON
“The idea for the first Burtie Learning product was born early one morning in the boarding house of The Pilgrims’ School, where I am the Assistant Housemaster. As boys were getting ready for breakfast, I spotted one boy tear off the page from his ‘word-of-the-day’ calendar - his new word was ‘propitious’. It was then that the word-a-day calendar for toddlers began, giving Burtie Learning a propitious start!“
Chris brings a bundle of energy and creative thinking to Burtie Learning. As a skilled musician and teacher, he thrives on inspiring children and young people. Chris works closely with colleagues in education to create products that encourage progressive learning.