Revealed: England’s biggest lockdown bullying hotspots

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  • Barking and Dagenham has seen the biggest increase in school bullying exclusions during lockdown – a 200% year-on-year rise 
  • 10 local authorities saw bullying rates more than double between 2018/19 and 2019/20 
  • Across England, the average number of exclusions for bullying has dropped by 31% 

 
England’s worst areas for school bullying during lockdown have been revealed in new research that has explored the number of exclusions across the country. 

 

Using the latest Department for Education data1, released yesterday, Oxford Home Schooling identified the regions which have experienced the biggest increases and decreases in bullying exclusions between 2018/19 and 2019/20. 

 

Barking and Dagenham is the biggest lockdown bullying hotspot, with the local authority seeing a 200% increase in the number of suspensions and permanent exclusions for this reason compared to the previous school year.  

 

The London borough is followed by North Tyneside, which experienced a 143% increase, and Trafford, where the number of bullying exclusions rose by 138%. 

 

Across England, ten local authorities saw their figures more than double. 

 

The local authorities that reported the biggest increases in bullying exclusions were: 

 

  1. Barking and Dagenham – 200% 
  2. North Tyneside – 143% 
  3. Trafford – 138% 
  4. Milton Keynes – 123% 
  5. Stoke-on-Trent – 122% 
  6. Peterborough – 114% 
  7. Isle of Wight – 114% 
  8. Kensington and Chelsea – 100% 
  9. Halton – 100% 
  10. Sutton – 100% 
  1.  

However, the national picture looks far more positive, largely due to school closures affecting the amount of contact time students had together.  

 

In England, the number of bullying exclusions dropped by 31% from 3,450 to 2,456 – equivalent to 63 such exclusions a week, compared to 91 the year before.  

 

In 2018/19, there was one bullying exclusion per 2,327 pupils in the country, but this has risen to one per 3,385. 

 

Thurrock, in the East on England, saw the most significant improvement, with a 100% decrease seeing its bullying exclusions drop to zero. Shropshire also experienced a large fall, with a 93% decline. 

 

In fact, every English region saw its figures plummet. Schools in the South West are the best performing in this regard, with the area experiencing 41% fewer bullying exclusions in the last year compared to the previous period. 

 

In contrast, Yorkshire and the Humber saw the smallest decrease, but still reduced its figure by 24%. 

 

The English regions which saw the biggest and smallest decreases in the number of school exclusions for bullying are: 

  1. South West – 41% decrease 
  2. North East – 37% decrease 
  3. North West – 33% decrease 
  4. West Midlands – 32% decrease 
  5. Outer London – 31% decrease 
  6. East Midlands – 31% decrease 
  7. East of England – 27% decrease 
  8. Inner London – 27% decrease 
  9. South East – 27% decrease 
  10. Yorkshire and the Humber – 24% decrease 

Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “These new exclusion figures cover the whole of the 2019/20 school year, but with the final term being conducted during lockdown, it’s interesting to see how the data compares to previous totals. 

 

“In many ways, the measures introduced during the pandemic, like reduced class sizes and increased supervision, have helped address the country’s bullying problem, so it will be interesting to see if schools try to adopt some of these permanently, even though restrictions are easing. 

 

“Anecdotally, nearly half of the parents who enrol their children with Oxford Home Schooling list bullying amongst their reasons for doing so. If your child is being bullied at school, then home education is a viable solution.” 

 

To see which local authorities in each region saw the biggest increases and decreases in bullying during lockdown, visit: https://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/blog/how-lockdowns-have-impacted-school-bullying/  
 

Kinteract is ‘music to the ears’ for Music in Secondary Schools Trust

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Edtech platform provides learning continuity to musical programme of excellence

 

Founded in 2013, the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST) provides funding for classical instruments for secondary schools with a disadvantaged or challenging student intake. The Key Stage 3 curriculum, known as the Andrew Lloyd Webber programme, gives schools the resources needed to produce high level, imaginative performers, composers and critical thinkers for GCSE, A-Level and beyond. With the aim of transforming educational and societal outcomes through the provision of classical music and expert tuition, the trust provides opportunities for children and young adults from all backgrounds to showcase their talents and be part of a programme of excellence that is unrivalled in the UK.

Out of tune technology

Supporting over 6,000 students, MiSST found that using a digital platform to share resources would benefit the learning experience, improve collaboration between pupils and teachers and reduce manual workload. For example, when a student is asked to practice playing a musical instrument, they should be able to access sufficient guidance or the supporting resources to learn outside of the classroom.

Yet, the edtech software it was previously relying upon did not meet these expectations. The common challenge was that the software was complicated to use and out of sync with the requirements of the music curriculum. Secondary school children found it difficult to navigate and struggled to find the specific supporting materials.

With the impacts of the Covid-19 forcing schools to turn to remote learning, the trust needed to find a user-friendly platform that would not only be easy to implement but would also accommodate their immediate needs to provide continuity to schooling. This included the functionality for uploading bespoke resources to be shared with pupils and music departments as well as access to single point of contact to help with any enquires. In the long term, MiSST also required a solution that could grow with the trust over time, offering additional features that could allow more opportunities for children to flourish while improving efficiencies for teachers.

Hitting the right notes

After searching the EdTech market for a solution, MiSST found that Kinteract’s cloud-based intuitive teaching and learning platform would compliment its approach to education, influencing their decision to implement the software across its partnered schools in the height of the pandemic. Due to lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures, the Kinteract team delivered several online training sessions with heads of departments within each school to ensure staff had the confidence to use the product.

With 20 schools subscribing to different virtual learning environments, the trust experienced benefits from the ‘get go’ as Kinteract gave them the opportunity to have a centralised place for all MiSST resources. Applications such as Google Drive were synchronised within the platform, enabling immediate access to learning materials. This, coupled with the ability to upload and share files to the content library has not only saved valuable time and driven efficiencies for both teachers and students, but it has also meant the learning journey for a pupil is uninterrupted; giving them the materials to practice and study in a home or school environment.

Opting for a phased strategic implementation of Kinteract to ensure users are familiar with the software, MiSST will be adopting its other features gradually. The functionalities of the platform go beyond typical edtech and offer a more holistic view of a student’s development. In addition to integrating third party communication tools, it can capture a child’s achievements, milestones, strengths, and competencies; allowing music teachers to set tasks and monitor progression aligned with a pupil’s skill level. Take for example a pupil learning the Saxophone. A teacher may ask them to learn a particular song or work towards the next grading level and set them a program to follow. The pupil could video themselves playing the instrument and upload it to the platform, providing evidence for the teacher to observe and assess.

 

Rachel Landon, CEO at MiSST said: “Kinteract has provided us with an impressive solution to the challenges we were previously experiencing with our content library. Pupils and teachers now have easy access to the material they need at the touch of a button – something that has proven invaluable during the pandemic. Going forwards, we’re excited to use the platform to evidence the students’ hard work, share progress with parents, and bring together the music community’.

Persona Education releases free version of its Persona Life Skills social-emotional e-learning platform

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Innovate UK funded edtech startup makes its social-emotional life skills online learning platform available to as many secondary students, teachers, schools and colleges as possible, to help address gaps in wellbeing and employability resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Image: Persona Education’s web app Persona Life Skills

 

Persona Education, the UK based edtech start-up developing life skills solutions for secondary schools and colleges, has announced free access to its flagship Persona Life Skills personality insights e-learning platform. Teachers can now create a free Persona Life Skills account and use it with any number of students, for any length of time.

Persona Life Skills is the online learning platform on which students aged 13-19 develop social-emotional life skills to boost their wellbeing and employability, with a unique personality insights framework at its heart.

Since its launch in October 2020, 50 schools and colleges have signed up to use the Persona Life Skills platform with over 10,000 students. The online learning software has been adopted by educational institutions in Australia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Spain, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

At the end of a trying academic year for educators in many countries, both teacher and student wellbeing is at a low point. With the free version of Persona Life Skills announced today, Persona Education aims to make a free online tool available to teachers responsible for personal, social & health education (PSHE), relationships & sex education (RSE), social-emotional learning (SEL), life skills and careers, that will enable them to boost their students’ wellbeing and employability.

Persona Life Skills employs an engaging learning journey built around a scientifically proven framework. Wrapped in a metaphor of exploring an archipelago of islands representing different life challenges, and taking guided tours focusing on various life skills, Persona’s pedagogy is rooted in large scale empirical research by behavioural scientists.

The free Persona Life Skills account includes all 44 ‘My Guided Tour’ life skill modules, three ‘Must See Island’ personality insights modules, and three ‘Discovery Island’ life challenge modules. Full access to all modules is available with a paid subscription.

The platform enables educators to develop their pupils’ social-emotional life skills, boosting their wellbeing across three contexts: Social, Learning and Work. The importance of ‘soft’ skills is increasingly recognised by employers. In Persona Life Skills students improve employability, equipping themselves with social-emotional skills for the workplace.

Persona Life Skills also enhances schools and colleges’ PSHE, RSE, SEL and careers education, building wellbeing and employability by developing life skills mapped to Ofsted, Independent Schools Inspectorate, PSHE Association, International Baccalaureate, GL Assessment, Gatsby, VIA Character, Skills Builder and other benchmarks.

More than ever before young people need to develop social-emotional life skills, but schools and colleges face three big problems: 1. other curriculum priorities; 2. lack of specialist teachers; 3. PSHE/SEL teacher workload. With Persona Life Skills any teacher can facilitate the learning, in the classroom or remotely. Ready-made learning modules and built-in teacher guidance, mean less demand for SEL/PSHE specialists and quicker lesson-planning, and students receive instant in-app feedback, so there is no need for teachers to spend time on marking. 

“With this free version of Persona Life Skills we are democratising online social-emotional learning, reaching as many secondary students around the world as possible,” said Pete Read, CEO & Founder of Persona Education.

“Helping students understand themselves and others is key to wellbeing and academic success in school, as well as future employment prospects, and that is exactly what we are doing at Persona Education by making the Persona Life Skills web app free for teachers and their students,” said Dr Leila Walker, Chief Product Officer of Persona Education.

To register for a free account with access for any number of students, visit www.persona-life.com.

Online learning provider launches sexual consent course for FE students and staff

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The Skills Network is supporting schools and colleges following Ofsted’s updated FE and Skills Handbook 

Online learning provider, The Skills Network, has developed and launched a new Sexual Consent course this month (July) aimed at further education students and staff, following the new Ofsted inspection changes in the updated FE and Skills Handbook. 

The course, which covers sexual harassment, violence, and online sexual abuse awareness, will give schools and colleges the knowledge to implement processes supported by relevant and evidenced training – ensuring institutions are compliant.

This innovative e-learning course will provide awareness to students and staff about sexual consent, in an easy and engaging way, allowing providers to track and monitor individual progress. It will also help further education institutions develop and implement policies and procedures, whilst supporting learners to identify and report concerns about sexual consent.

Megan Smith, Product Development Director, said: “We’re proud to launch this new course, as it will give further education institutions the support they need, to ensure they are tackling sexual harassment and following Ofsted’s latest recommendations.

“This will not only give staff the right tools to tackle sexual abuse, but it will also teach students about safeguarding risks, including risks online, helping them understand what makes a healthy relationship both online and offline.

“A recent poll published by Higher Education Policy Institute* revealed that only a small minority of students think their prior education prepared them for the reality of sex and relationships in higher education, whilst many students think it should be compulsory to pass a sexual consent assessment before entering higher education. We hope that this course will give students the support they need.”

Schools and colleges can sign up to the Sexual Consent course before changes come into effect in September, by visiting https://theskillsnetwork.com/.

  • The Skills Network is supporting schools and colleges following Ofsted’s updated FE and Skills Handbook 

Online learning provider, The Skills Network, has developed and launched a new Sexual Consent course this month (July) aimed at further education students and staff, following the new Ofsted inspection changes in the updated FE and Skills Handbook. 

The course, which covers sexual harassment, violence, and online sexual abuse awareness, will give schools and colleges the knowledge to implement processes supported by relevant and evidenced training – ensuring institutions are compliant.

This innovative e-learning course will provide awareness to students and staff about sexual consent, in an easy and engaging way, allowing providers to track and monitor individual progress. It will also help further education institutions develop and implement policies and procedures, whilst supporting learners to identify and report concerns about sexual consent.

Megan Smith, Product Development Director, said: “We’re proud to launch this new course, as it will give further education institutions the support they need, to ensure they are tackling sexual harassment and following Ofsted’s latest recommendations.

“This will not only give staff the right tools to tackle sexual abuse, but it will also teach students about safeguarding risks, including risks online, helping them understand what makes a healthy relationship both online and offline.

“A recent poll published by Higher Education Policy Institute* revealed that only a small minority of students think their prior education prepared them for the reality of sex and relationships in higher education, whilst many students think it should be compulsory to pass a sexual consent assessment before entering higher education. We hope that this course will give students the support they need.”

Schools and colleges can sign up to the Sexual Consent course before changes come into effect in September, by visiting https://theskillsnetwork.com/.

“School holidays feel no different to lockdown”

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Young people worried about loneliness this summer, finds mental health charity, Mind

 

The start of the summer holiday could feel like another lockdown for many young people with mental health problems, says leading mental health charity, Mind. As schools break up for the summer holidays, there are increasing concerns over loneliness in young people, particularly those with mental health problems.

 

Mind’s latest report into the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people with mental health problems across England and Wales has recently revealed that, among young people with mental health problems:

  • Nine in ten (88 per cent) told us loneliness made their mental health worse
  • Almost one in two (48 per cent) have not felt close to people recently
  • Two thirds (65%) of adults and more than two thirds (68%) of young people with mental health problems say their mental health has got worse since the first national lockdown. Nearly half (46%) of those adults and over half (51%) of those young people said that their mental health has got much worse since the beginning of the first national lockdown in March 2020

 

Louise Clarkson, Strategic Lead for Young People at Mind, said:

 

“Many of us often associate loneliness with older people, but we’ve also seen how it’s hit young people’s mental health hard too. Our report revealed that young people, who have struggled with their mental health through the pandemic, are more likely to be using coping strategies, like self-harm, than adults. Many young people have also told us how much they dread the summer holidays as they miss the social interaction with teachers and friends.

 

“At Mind, we’re determined to get young people the support they need, and most recently, we’ve called on the UK Government to invest in initiatives – such as #fundthehubs – which would provide young people somewhere to go when they first start to struggle with their mental health. We also urge anyone who is struggling with their mental health to seek support from their GP or speak to loved ones.”

 

Elsa is 19 and lives in Redbridge, East London. She began to experience depression and anxiety from around the age of 14, but didn’t feel supported at school. She said:

 

“The lack of resources available to my school meant the support wasn’t there. This was a huge factor in my mental health continuing to deteriorate until it became so bad and I needed help so desperately that we went through private counselling. I felt constantly misunderstood and didn’t get the support I needed. I am now really passionate about seeing a change in the way young people’s mental health is approached in schools.

 

“All staff need more resources and training to be better equipped to support students and create safe environments for everyone. I think this would make a huge difference to preventing mental health problems occurring and deteriorating. No young person should be left to reach a crisis point before people start listening or making the effort to understand. Better support within the education system would make a huge difference by catching problems earlier and giving the space for young people to feel listened to and empowered, something I rarely felt at school. Better support at school would have changed my whole mental health story as a teenager.”

 

Lily is 22, and lives in Southend, Essex. She studied at the University of Cambridge and has recently qualified as a teacher. She said:

 

“I think mental health support within schools is so important, especially given the impact the pandemic has had on young people. Pupils have faced both disruption to schooling, and the mental health effects of lockdowns and reduced social interaction, or even damaged relationships. I’m saddened but not shocked that Mind’s research found so many schoolchildren are worried about feeling lonely over the summer holidays. Our summer holidays, which would previously have been a period spent seeing friends and relaxing after the stresses and demands of term-time are over, could actually be a source of anxiety for many. It’s likely many teachers will be feeling that way too. Making sure well-funded services are available to young people is vital, and this should happen all year round, even – or especially – when schools are closed.”

 

Around 44 per cent of young people with mental health problems said they rarely or don’t ever feel optimistic, about the future, with one young person in the report saying “I really badly miss school. I hate the school holidays because they feel no different than lockdown to me. During the school holidays, I cry nearly every day and doing things like brushing my hair feels difficult. I just feel so lonely and crave any social interaction possible with my teachers and my friends.”

 

The charity is also concerned about how young people who struggle with their mental health were more likely to be using coping strategies, like self-harm, over or under-eating. Mind’s report also found that young people were coping by sleeping too much or too little (77 per cent of young people compared to 61 per of adults) and spending too much time on social media (73 per cent of young people compared to 49 per cent of adults).

 

Mind has produced information and support for young people to help them cope with mental health problems during the summer holidays and as restrictions ease. Here are some of their top tips:

 

  1. Keep talking and connecting with people – speak to loved ones or health professionals about how you are feeling. The more you open up, the more you realise you are not alone.
  2. Do things at your own pace – it’s OK to say ‘no’ to socialising if you need to and prioritise your own health and mental wellbeing.
  3. Try not to compare yourself to others – do what makes you happy. Happiness looks and feels different to everyone, so don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.
  4. Limit your exposure to news and negative discussions – put your phone down and go outside – it’s a cliché but it works wonders.
  5. Write things down – journal and write down any positive thoughts.

 

University of Birmingham invests in largest ZEISS Digital Classroom in Europe

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176 state-of-the-art ZEISS microscopes are partnered with the award winning Labscope teaching software

 

The University of Birmingham cemented its position as a pioneer of cutting-edge education in 2018 with the creation of the largest digital microscope classroom in Europe. The ZEISS Digital Classroom suite is part of the university’s Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) and boasts a networked set of 176 ZEISS microscopes – a combination of the ZEISS Primotech and Stemi 305 models. These state-of-the-art microscopes, in combination with the award-winning Labscope teaching software, have transformed how teaching is done at Birmingham and raised the bar on what teachers and students can achieve together in the lab.

 

Transforming the Student Experience

 

We talked to three members of the CTL’s teaching staff for this case study, and the first thing we learned is that the ZEISS microscopes, with their intuitive design and high-definition built-in  cameras,  have radically transformed the student experience and boosted engagement. “The ZEISS Digital Classroom has profoundly changed the way we teach,” says Mrs Aruna Mistry, Dry Lab Manager for the CTL, who managed the microscope procurement process. “It’s the sheer interactivity of it that has changed everything: all the students can have an individual image on their device, and we teachers can pick up those images and instantly share them on the big screens. Alternatively, the lecturer can display whatever they are looking at on their teaching microscope on the students’ personal screens.”

In addition to looking through the microscope, students also use networked PCs to explore their slides, while the ZEISS Labscope. software enables them to take high-resolution photos and videos  of their samples, make accurate measurements, and much more. Students have embraced the system, says Mistry. “They like the  idea of everything being at their fingertips. The optics are so good, sometimes they just want to come in to look at their thin sections. And being able to take an image if they want to, straight away, because it is all connected… they just love it.”

Maximising teaching time

 

The state-of-the art ZEISS units are sleek, intuitive and “student- proof”, says Mistry: “In practical classes or exams, I can just take the dust cover off and it is ready to go. This changed my life. Before   the ZEISS installation, I’d have to give the equipment a quick service before we could start.”

Dr Alan Hastie, who teaches petrology and geochemistry at the university, is equally enthusiastic about how the linked microscopes of the ZEISS Digital Classroom maximise teaching time: “With the digital set up, with one click on one screen I can tell if 70 students have their microscopes set up correctly. I no longer have to check everyone individually, which can take an age.” Not only is time saved – teaching is accelerated. “I can pull images from individual students’ microscopes and instantly share them with the class to demonstrate very good examples to the other students. It makes teaching a lot easier and more streamlined.”

 

Boosting Exam Results

 

It not only feels like it is working better. The proof is in the pudding. “The ZEISS equipment allowed me to get my students to a satisfactory level faster than I could in previous years. And this was borne out by exam results,” says Hastie. This accelerated teaching is facilitated by ZEISS’s Labscope Teacher software, which puts the lecturer in charge of all the microscopes in the network while they move freely around the lab. Labscope Teacher also lets the lecturer define working groups, set group-specific tasks and implement all sorts of teamwork-boosting practices.

 

Digital Documentation and Feedback

 

No one on the teaching staff in the new CTL is yearning for the old days. Dr James Wheeley, a senior lecturer in sedimentary geology, remembers them all too well. “Before, we used very traditional microscope set ups, where students had to draw what they  looked  at.  One  of  our  top priorities for this new system was the capability to instantly capture, in high resolution, what the students were looking at, so that they could work with these images after the lab and use them for presentations. That was really important to us.”

The ZEISS Digital Classroom ecosystem also gives faculty the flexibility to feed back to students electronically on things they have imaged through the system. “We’ve been able to teach students how to properly present microscope images and annotate them up afterwards in software, which was difficult to do previously,” says Wheeley.

 

Preparing students for industry

Having students learn these modern working practices feeds into a central motivation for equipping the CTL with ZEISS systems in the first place. “The idea behind the CTL was that we are preparing our students for industry; that they acquire the skills they need here, so that when they start their careers they won’t need retraining,” says Mistry. “We wanted the equipment to be state-of-the-art, the lab to be state-of-the-art, the staff to be fully trained into what they are delivering. Buying the right type of microscopes was crucial.”

Wheeley agrees: “Everything the students are working with now is digital. This system allows them to present work to a professional standard, which is what will be required of them in their first jobs after university.”

Being one of the most advanced teaching labs in Europe, and indeed the world, inevitably makes the University of Birmingham particularly attractive to new students. Though, admittedly, this gold-standard status is not always fully appreciated. “Sometimes, new first-year students don’t realise quite how good they have it,” says Hastie. “At other universities, the equipment is – how do I put this diplomatically? – a wee bit antiquated. Our students come in fresh and get to use this fantastic equipment straight off. This is their normal. I’m in the privileged position to know that they have it very good indeed!”

 

The ZEISS Digital Classroom was part of a £45 million investment at the University of Birmingham, so naturally multiple suppliers were consulted. What was it that won over Mistry and her many colleagues? “The decision to buy took nearly two years and we really explored our options – we had workshops and demonstrations with many potential suppliers,” says Mistry. “Ultimately, the ZEISS system is the only one that could deliver what we said we wanted – we couldn’t ask for more. And   the ongoing support from ZEISS has been brilliant. Anything we asked, anything    we needed, they were there.”

 

To learn more about the ZEISS Digital Classroom, visit: www.zeiss.ly/digitalclassrooms

Educators can now access premium video through Alamy

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Alamy, PA Media Group’s stock image business has partnered with Pond5 to provide over 6 million premium videos for education and creative customers around the world.

 

In 2016, the Universal Journal of Educational Research found that using videos or multimedia materials in education increases learning [1]. Five years later, the technology used to create and edit these videos has improved so much, we now see movie quality videos offered on websites like Alamy, making them easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

 

Emily Shelley, Managing Director at Alamy, said: “Our collection of videos mostly depicts authentic and diverse real-life stories, real-life people, and real-life scenes which can help students get energized and engaged about new topics when learning in schools and other institutes. 

 

“We already have lots of education clients using our stock images in classrooms, so we look forward to providing high-quality video content too.”

 

With over 6 million videos to choose from, Alamy has acquired high-calibre compelling content from Pond5’s video collection, meaning customers can choose from a wide selection of royalty-free videos.

 

The company has already been commended by clients like Pearson, with Claire Bowers, Rights Manager at Pearson English & Global Schools saying, “Alamy has a wide range of images and clips. There is a person to chat to about projects if you need, which feels like a luxury these days, and they are.’’  

 

Alamy, which officially launches its new video offering on its website on 2 August, has more than 100,000 customers across 150 countries. Pond5 joins other premium providers on the platform, including Reuters, EyeEm, The Independent and Alamy’s parent company, PA Media Group.

 

Visit www.alamy.com to view its new stock videos and over 260 million additional stock content assets.

 

Calling all young explorers!

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Children get chance to visit a wind farm, dairy farm and factory without leaving the classroom  

  

  • Nestlé has developed an interactive virtual school trips platform for children aged 7-12.  
  • The three trips are presented by well-known children’s TV presenter, Rhys Stephenson.   
  • The online sessions, created with Nestlé’s partners Community Windpower and First Milk, are available from today – tl/KS2VirtualTrips  

 

With school trips off the timetable for many children during the last two school years, Nestlé UK & Ireland has created a series of virtual tours for children to show them around a wind farm, dairy farm and a coffee factory, at no cost.   

  

Aimed at children aged 7-12 years old, the school trips platform is a free resource available for schools and parents, featuring a series of interactive videos with quizzes and games.    

The guided tours, hosted by children’s TV presenter Rhys Stephenson, give children the chance to see the inner workings of a wind farm – which powers electricity for all three sites, inside a cow milking parlour – and how the milk crumb can be used to make frothy coffees and hot chocolate in the factory, and how the coffee is roasted from bean to cup. All without leaving their classroom or home.  

  

Presenter Rhys explains in a child-friendly and engaging way, how the sites are all connected through Nestlé to bring people food and drink. He also explains how the locations are set up to work collaboratively to improve sustainability practices, such as reducing carbon emissions and preserving local habitats – all of which was found, in a recent survey by Phunky Foods, to be very interesting to children.  

  

The videos feature three sites in the UK:   

 

The interactive sessions, about 15-20 minutes long, are delivered through a self-guided touring platform that can be projected into a school classroom, or as an individual on a computer, laptop, or tablet. The videos are designed for the children to feel that they are having direct interaction with Rhys and the contributors, through activities, interactive quizzes, interviews with the experts and thought-provoking questions centred around the sites, sustainability, and biodiversity. As the children progress through the platform, they can collect stickers, producing a certificate at the end.  

   

Schools from across all corners of the UK and Ireland can have this experience at no cost, increasing access and sharing invaluable knowledge.     

  

Dr Jennie Cockroft, Director of Nutrition at Phunky Foods, said:     

  

“At PhunkyFoods we work with primary school children up and down the country every day, and I know how much kids have missed out on during this school year as a result of the pandemic.  

  

“School trips are a really important part of learning, and it’s great to see that Nestlé is offering a series of virtual excursions for children across the UK & Ireland. As well as providing stimulus and stoking their sense of adventure, the platform gives kids the opportunity to learn more about where their food comes from and encourages interesting conversations about sustainability and biodiversity.”   

 

Nestlé UK&I Director of Corporate Affairs, Cristina Macina, said:   

   

“Climate change and the future of our planet is something that we are all passionate about and this is a great way to share some of those challenges, in a fun way, with our future generations.

 

“After the last eighteen months, we are delighted to be able to give children the chance to visit places they normally wouldn’t be able to. As a parent of a primary school aged child myself, I know that the interactivity of the platform makes it lots of fun, with games and quizzes throughout each learning episode. My son has really enjoyed visiting the wind farm, factory and in particular, the dairy farm. His favourite part was learning about how the calves are born on the farm and the farmer Rachel helps look after them when they’re young. I’d encourage any teacher or parent to take a look at the videos as it could be fun and interesting for them too.” 

 

Developed in collaboration with partners, Community Wind Power and First Milk, the three online, educational school trips are for use in primary schools and will be available from the end of the summer term and beyond.     

    

To access the virtual school trips, click here. 

Kajeet Digital Inclusion Grant 2021 Winners Announced

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Kajeet UK Ltd is pleased to announce the 5 selected grant recipients of the 2021 Digital Inclusion Grant.

Grant recipients 2021 “For their dedication and ongoing work to close the digital divide within education”

The Digital Inclusion Grant promotes merit in technical education by recognising schools who are putting an extra focus on digital inclusivity projects to work towards digital equality at their schools.

Hew Rees Physics subject lead at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd commented:

“We’re delighted at YGG Llangynwyd to have been successful in winning this grant. A reliable internet connection brings our most disadvantaged learners a huge step closer to their more privileged peers.“

Broadband internet is no longer a luxury, but an essential onramp to education, jobs and access to essential services. 9% of students in the UK lack internet access at home, yet nearly all homework requires online access, and students with internet access at home are 6-8% more likely to graduate from high school.

The lockdowns during the pandemic have highlighted this issue in a much stronger light. Two of the grant winners commented on the impact the pandemic has had on their student performance.

Colin Nicholson Associate Vice Principal at Shirley High School:

“ The National Lockdowns when schools were partially closed, really highlighted the disparity between learners who had digital technology to engage with remote learning and those without. Inevitably, the Kajeet devices will enable learners to engage with both remote learning, independent learning and to demonstrate resilience. This will develop the character of the child and help them become excellent global citizens in a digital age.”

Debasis Maitra, Teacher of applied science at Capital City Academy

“I wanted to promote digital inclusivity at Capital City Academy, specifically to the students who have suffered due to school closure because of COVID-19 lockdown measures. I am really grateful to Kajeet UK for this grant as this will assist our students here at Capital City Academy with reliable Internet Connectivity which will support their Online Learning.”

Grant recipients serve as inspirational leaders within the UK educational system for their work to bridge the digital divide amongst students and level the playing field.

The winning schools will receive unlimited filtered connectivity for their students for a period of 6 months to support their work towards promoting digital inclusivity at their schools.

Comments were also made by the Kings Langley School from head teacher David Fisher

“This is going to allow our young people to continue to develop their digital competencies and to improve their lives.”

Also Michelle Gale – Health and Social Care teacher at John Leggott College commented on the grant win

“John Leggott College are thrilled to have been awarded this grant. It will help our learners engage in their education by providing free connectivity. A perfect opportunity to enhance the college’s digital inclusion strategy in the community”