News

VR will revolutionise the classroom, Lenovo research finds

Over half of teachers feel grades will go up by delivering new experiences such as climbing Everest through VR

84 per cent think that technology will be prominent in their students’ future

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) has released new data that shows almost all teachers (94 per cent) in the UK think that Virtual Reality (VR) would benefit the classroom, with nearly half (42 per cent) estimating it will be commonplace in the next five years. The research, in partnership with TV personality Helen Skelton, shows that teachers also propose that technologies such as VR will be crucial in creating the workforce of tomorrow, with 84 per cent predicting future jobs will be heavily influenced by tech.

No Isolation - Helping Children With Illness Stay Connected

No Isolation - Helping Children With Long-Term Illness Stay Connected With Their Peers When Physically Absent From The Classroom And Playground

No Isolation (www.noisolation.com) is an Oslo-based start-up founded to reduce involuntary social solitude. Its first product, a physical avatar named AV1, allows British children and young adults who are forced by illness to take extended time away from school, to maintain a presence in the classroom, communicate with friends, and socialise. This minimises loneliness, and reduces the short and long-term educational and developmental impacts of absence. Currently, more than 400 AV1 telepresence robots are in use across Europe.

School app helps SEND school improve parental engagement

The Piota school app is used at Kingsdown, which boasts a swimming pool

Parental engagement without disruption: how one school app has helped an SEND setting to connect with families...

Parental engagement can be difficult for most schools, but when children arrive and leave in buses and taxis, speaking to parents is even harder. The Kingsdown School, part of the SEN Trust Southend Multi Academy Trust, supports 120 students up to 14 years of age with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD); 95% have a cognitive ability below pre-reception age.

BBC’s new Education Strategy to encourage social mobility in the UK

James Purnell, Director, BBC Radio and Education has announced BBC’s Education Strategy his intention to focus the BBC’s education mission around improving social mobility across the UK.

Launching the new approach today James Purnell said, “Education has always been part of the BBC’s DNA and we want to renew our commitment to it in this new charter period. We want to work with partners to have a positive impact on people’s lives, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

The BBC has consulted extensively with stakeholders in education and business to identify key areas where its content, reach, educational expertise and trusted relationship with audiences could help reduce inequality and do more to support learning for people of all ages.

Seven Stories Crowdfunding Video: Life-changing Stories

Life-changing Stories fund-raiser to help children with additional needs

Life-changing Stories boy with headphones

As youngsters across the country celebrate World Book Day, we take a look at crowdfunding campaign Life-changing Stories which has been launched to bring books and stories to life for children with additional needs.

Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books will raise money for the campaign on Crowdfunder UK. The museum and gallery, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, is seeking support in its Life-changing Stories campaign to raise £7,000 to fund a range of fully accessible events and experiences that will allow children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities to step into their favourite stories in an inclusive and sensory environment.

Opportunity To Experience Modern Industry Brings Careers To The Classroom

PROVIDING TEACHING STAFF WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE MODERN INDUSTRY BRINGS CAREERS TO LIFE IN THE CLASSROOM

Lauren Brown – Project Manager, Developing the Young Workforce West Lothian Regional Group

Some of the biggest influencers in a young person’s life, outside a parent or carer, are their teaching and support staff. A teacher’s guidance is hugely significant, especially in latter school years when career decisions and future choices become increasingly important.

The Holmewood School won ‘Wellbeing initiative of the year’

When The Holmewood School identified a need to actively improve the mental health of its students, it launched a three-year plan, made up of three initiatives that were closely aligned to the needs of its community whilst supporting its mission to ‘Think Differently’.

The North London school in Woodside Park is for 7-19 year olds with autism, and a survey it carried out showed that 87 percent of its pupils felt they would do more schoolwork outside in the fresh air. The forest school was born.

Politicians urged to involve children in developing mental health system

Politicians must include young people in decision making to try and solve the children’s mental health crisis, says Barnardo’s.

This is the message from young people supported by the charity who have had their say in a series of videos released during Children’s Mental Health Week (February 5 to 11).

The importance of early intervention is a key thread in the films, along with the call for governments to ensure teachers are adequately trained to recognise the signs a child may be having mental health issues.

The videos are timed with a survey for the UK’s largest children’s charity, which reveals half of all 12 to 16-year-olds in England feel sad or anxious at least once a week.

Active kids do better:

Olympic medallist launches programme to get kids active.

Sprinter Daryll Neita unveils campaign to increase kids’ activity before, during and after school

A nationwide drive to inspire primary school children to be more active was unveiled by an Olympic medallist at a school in London today.

Sprinter Daryll Neita visited Beatrix Potter Primary School in Wandsworth to launch Active Kids Do Better – a Nike and Discovery Education programme, developed with support from Liverpool John Moores University, to help teachers increase movement and play throughout the school day.

Guide Dogs supporting children and young people

As well as Family Days Out, Guide Dogs provides a range of services designed to support children, young people and their families.

Movement matters habilitation service

Guide Dogs’ movement matters service gives support to blind children and young people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Movement matters provides personalised training and support in mobility, orientation and independence skills, delivered by a qualified habilitation specialist.

Family support

One of the most invaluable services that Guide Dogs provide to many parents and carers of a child with vision impairment is ongoing practical and emotional support.

College pledges support for mental health campaign

A North East college has become the first FE provider in the region to back a campaign that encourages people to speak out about mental health issues.

Time to Change is a national initiative launched by two charities, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, to encourage debate and tackle stigmas surrounding mental health.

Now Gateshead College has become the latest organisation to lend its support to the campaign, which is being backed by more than 550 organisations across the UK.

Worry no longer about children’s well-being

Recent studies and statistics show us children’s mental well-being needs to be given careful consideration and attention; charities with high profile backing are bringing the subject to the mainstream media. However, despite this issue in a technically driven world, no new solutions have been available to support children, until now.

Having spent the last 20 years in the education system, I was excited and nervous when I was asked to leave my teaching career to work on an app project designed for children. I was worried as I didn’t know anything else outside teaching, but also excited to be able to work on a project where my knowledge and experience across a range of teaching ages would greatly benefit.

Science goes 3D with high-tech physics book

A physics book which offers students 28 ideas for experiments with 3D simulations to complement the practicals is set to shake up science this year.

While physics is a vital academic backbone to hundreds of different careers, the author feels that a huge disparity exists between students needing to intimately understand the practicalities and results of dozens of experiments, while having very limited access to actual laboratories. It’s something that has been on Dr. Robert J. Lucas’ mind for over a decade, inspiring him to create Advanced Physics Practicals: with 3D Simulations.

Using natural rhythms to counter the UK’s classroom exam factory culture

Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman has criticised schools that operate as exam factories and obsess about league tables at the expense of the “substance of education.”

Spielman has been outspoken about teachers who prepare pupils to “jump through a series of accountability hoops.” She concedes testing is valuable, but adds: "The regular taking of test papers does little to increase a child's ability to comprehend. A much better use of time is to teach and help children to read and read more."

Championing a teaching style that enriches the life of each pupil should be the goal of educators. But what practical techniques can be used to implement such a philosophy?

Collaborate to innovate: opening up tech to students with SEN

In the time since education technology was first introduced into schools much has changed in the way we view it. Whereas once the attention was on devices - the number of laptops or availability of smart-boards in the classroom - today, priorities have shifted. Teachers are now looking to education technology to enhance teaching and learning, or to change pedagogy - and are seeing its potential particularly in helping students with Special Educational Needs.

Using natural rhythms to counter the UK’s classroom culture

Rhythms to counter the UK’s classroom culture, Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman has criticised schools that operate as exam factories and obsess about league tables at the expense of the “substance of education.”

Championing a teaching style that enriches the life of each pupil should be the goal of educators. But what practical techniques can be used to implement such a philosophy?

Sparkol Launches StoryPix

New product enables users to create short explainer videos from a photo in minutes. Sparkol, creator of leading whiteboard explainer video software VideoScribe, today launched StoryPix, the latest addition to its growing product suite of video software.

StoryPix enables users to create short narrated videos quickly and easily. After taking a photo or uploading an image, users can add text and voice description as the software zooms into elements of the photo, easily saving and sharing the final product with as many people as they like.

The quick-to-create, easily shareable nature of StoryPix videos provides a myriad uses including:

Special Olympics & Play Unified Help 30,000 Young People Fight Intolerance in First Two Years

Play Unified, a Special Olympics GB campaign delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, is celebrating a second successful year fighting intolerance in schools across the UK - reaching almost 30,000 young people nationwide, enough to fill a football stadium!

The campaign aims to change perceptions of and end intolerance towards young people with intellectual disabilities (ID), such as the fact 8 in 10 experience bullying. It aims to strengthen leadership and sport participation pathways for young people with intellectual disabilities and develop inclusive environments in schools through sport.

Catering Beyond the Classroom

Principals and Prue Leith take school catering ‘Beyond the Classroom’

Prue Leith CBE joined forces with Principals, one of the UK’s longest established school caterers and part of CH&Co Group, to offer school leaders new perspectives on the future of school catering and their role in ensuring children and families understand food and nutrition and enjoy healthy and sustainable eating at school and at home.

As well as Family Days Out, Guide Dogs provides a range of services designed to support children, young people and their families.

Movement matters habilitation service

Family support

Principals and Prue Leith take school catering ‘Beyond the Classroom’

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