Tackling teacher shortages – Aussie teacher placements
Romford Principal Stuart McLaughlin is tackling ‘head-on’ teacher shortages in the London Borough of Havering by flying out this October to Australia – where there is a surplus of teachers – to recruit qualified antipodean staff for his Borough’s 94 schools. English, maths and science teachers for the Borough’s secondary schools and main scale primary teachers will be top targets. Departing in October, Stuart will be flying out from Heathrow to Brisbane for eight days – courtesy of recruitment and retention specialist Supply Desk (trading as Teaching in Australia). He will meet a pool of candidates with a minimum of a Bachelor of Education Degree pre-vetted by its Australian recruitment team. A formalised matching process will be set up to enable Stuart to identify candidates suited to the specification given to him by each school in Havering, followed by a Skype interview with the leadership team of the relevant Havering school for those that are successful. Appointed overseas candidates for Havering will be invited to live with local families to help them to integrate well into school and community life. Clare Othman, Managing Director of Supply Desk Ltd, said, “When asked to identify the advantages of overseas recruitment, school leaders reported that international recruits brought different perspectives and experiences to school, which helped to diversify the staff profile, introduce new content and texts to subjects and broaden students’ horizons. These were perceived as secondary positive outcomes, rather than the primary motivators for recruiting teachers from abroad. The main advantage was that a previously unfilled post was filled by a subject specialist. Stuart, who is Principal of Bower Park Academy, Romford, will be charting his innovative journey in a video diary and will also be producing engaging 8-9 second video clips on his progress for use on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Commenting on this innovative approach to recruitment, Councillor Damian White, Leader of Havering Council, said, “Partnering with Supply Desk is an important strand of Havering’s recruitment and retention strategy which seeks to attract the very best teaching staff to Borough from across the UK and abroad to enrich its’ talent pool. “Our schools have reported that it’s getting harder to attract the right candidates, so earlier this year we also launched a campaign to promote Havering as a great place to live and work.†Please click on the link to see the video Living in Havering “It has the benefit of being in close proximity to London, whilst also having award-winning parks and great cultural facilities. It is also one of the more affordable places to live in Outer London. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming a new team of strong candidates to enrich our growing teacher cohort.â€
“Post-Exam Stress Disorder” Still Causes Nightmare For One In 10 Adults
Young people receive their GCSE results next week, which might also be an unpleasant reminder for parents as one in 10 adults still have nightmares about their own exam experiences and results. This is according to research from MyTutor that explored how stressful experiences during school and university assessments can follow us through life. Coined Post-Exam Stress Disorder, a range of different anxieties still exists in half (48%) of adults, ranging from recurring nightmares to a fear of failure in life. By far the most common bad dream is failing a test, experienced by four in 10 (39%) of those affected. Similarly, one in six (17%) are tortured by nightmares about not revising enough, while 11 percent turn up ‘inappropriately dressed’ for their test – be that in their pyjamas or without clothes at all. Psychologist Dr Kate Jenkins, who specialises in counselling adults with PTSD, has come across persistent exam nightmares in many of her patients. Dr Jenkins said: “Dreams often reflect our deepest fears – humiliation, abandonment, being attacked but unable to scream. Exam dreams may be experienced by those who fear being measured against others and found lacking in some way – a manifestation of imposter syndrome perhaps? The nocturnal representations of a feeling of “intellectual fraudulence.†Women are nearly 50 percent more likely to dream about failing an exam than men (29% vs 20%), indicating a lingering lack of academic confidence disproportionately affects women. Meanwhile, men were more than twice as likely (16% vs 7%) to dream about being inappropriately dressed or being given the wrong paper (9% vs 4%), indicating worries about logistics were more prevalent. Such is the impact of exams on our psyche, one in four adults (24%) say that their sense of self-esteem is linked to the grades they ended up with at school or university. A similar proportion (22%) say their performance at school has affected their confidence in the workplace. Better interventions at school could help prevent this kind of long-term impact, however. One in five (19%) adults think that celebrating other forms of achievement could act as a way to reduce the importance placed on exams, as well as the associated stress. Similarly, almost one in five (19%) say a change as simple as making exam settings more relaxed would make a big difference. Meanwhile, one in nine (11%) say that one-to-one academic support and mentorship would give young people the framework to be more confident about exams and see them as a less stressful experience. Bertie Hubbard, CEO of MyTutor said: “Exam season can be a very distressing time of year for students, with results day often the pinnacle. And the concern is that the stress of exams doesn’t stop with being a student. While we can’t stop recurring nightmares years down the line, more can be done to make the exam period better for the next generation of pupils. “We know that one-to-one support can have a big impact, giving students the opportunity to run through revision one-to-one in more depth. So whether the next step is resitting some GCSEs or moving on to A levels, MyTutor offers flexible access to a wide range of tutors who can help provide that extra bit of confidence ahead of exams.â€
Keeping the love for history alive
Benedict Freeburn, history teacher at St Mary Magdalene CE School, explains the positive impact great CPD can have on teachers’ passion for their subject. After giving explanations of how William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings to a multitude of classes, does your passion for teaching shine as brightly as it did the day you first walked into the classroom? The best teachers are highly skilled at ensuring true love for their subject endures, regardless of how many years they have been teaching it. But schools have an important part to play in nurturing this. History beyond the classroom School trips are a great way to spark students’ imaginations and immerse them in the subjects they are learning. Our school is ideally located for this and as a history teacher, I’ve seen the positive impact of taking students on half-termly trips to exciting locations such as the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. Giving students the chance to chat about the famous characters from history inside the rooms they inhabited, or see the actual graffiti created by those imprisoned in the Tower for themselves, really helps to bring history to life. But spending time outside of the classroom in these places can be hugely beneficial for teachers too, as I discovered recently when my colleagues and I attended a CPD event at the Tower of London. Always learning Having visited the Tower with our students at least eight times a year as part of the history curriculum, we were amazed at how much a CPD-focussed event enabled us to learn about the subject we love and the different ways of teaching it. One highlight of the event, which was run by Historic Royal Palaces, was being able to chat to a current GCSE examiner about the new numerical grading system. As a relatively new school, St Mary Magdalene is about to start teaching GCSEs for the very first time, so it was great to be able to ask questions and get a clearer understanding of what examiners look for in a grade 9 answer, and how this differs from the previous A* grade. Taking a tour from a teacher’s perspective, rather than that of a student, helped to underline how our trips to the Tower can support teaching at Key Stage 3, as well as our GCSE units. We returned to school invigorated with new lesson ideas and a deeper understanding of the site’s history – it is quite amazing how many questions you have when you’re not monitoring thirty students. The experience has changed our approach to teaching Key Stage 3 history. The Tower now plays a central role in developing students’ enquiry skills, featuring heavily in our Normans and Tudor schemes of work. The CPD event has also provided a strong introduction to the Elizabethans for Key Stage 4 too. Inspiring students School trips are designed to an experience that motivates students to make good progress back in school. CPD days away from the classroom are equally important for allowing teachers to delve deeper into their subjects and explore the most effective ways of teaching them. With over 70% of students at St Mary Magdalene studying history GCSE, we believe that the passion our teachers have for history is shared by our students. For more information, visit CPD for schools.
Advice for students after receiving their GCSE results
Deciding what you want to do after your GCSE results can be a tough choice, and you might not even know what career path you want to head down just yet, so making decisions on A Levels and further education can be hugely overwhelming. The key is to keep your options open and throw yourself into everything; nothing needs to be set in stone just yet. Below is some advice to help you navigate your way through this tricky period from Sharon Walpole, Director at www.careermap.co.uk… Gain some hands-on experience As part of your school curriculum you’ll be given the opportunity to do work experience, which usually involves spending a week shadowing members of staff as they go about their jobs. This is a great chance for networking so put some effort into finding a worthwhile placement; think about what sort of work interests you and what kind of environment you might want to work in. Don’t panic if you have no idea what career path you want to take yet, this is the perfect time to try new things out, discover what you like and what’s not right for you. It can sometimes be tricky to secure work experience so make sure you’re flexible and open to trying different things; your placement may not be your dream job but it can give you valuable experience or help you get your foot in the door. Make use of your school’s advice and careers services as well as your family, as they may be able to put you in touch with potential contacts. Remember, to secure the most lucrative opportunities, you must be proactive: make phone calls and email out your CV, for example, as the more positions you apply for the greater your chance of being successful. Throw yourself into all things extra-curricular A great way to develop essential skills for your CV (and personal statement if you end up going to university) is through extra-curricular activities. Whether it’s debating to enhance your communication, or sports to improve your team-working abilities, it all counts. Not only that, but this is also a great opportunity to meet new people, find out what you enjoy and work out where your strengths lie. Take a step back A Levels aren’t for everyone, so don’t feel pressured into staying in school if you already have a pretty good idea of what you want to do. Whilst aspiring doctors and vets will have to get the grades, there are plenty of apprenticeship schemes – from engineering to accounting – available that might be a better fit for you. Apprenticeships and vocational qualifications such as BTECs and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) can be done alongside A Levels, or even instead of, and they focus on the practical side of the working world, meaning that you can put what you already know into action. Apprenticeships even give you the opportunity to be paid around £170 per week, meaning that you can start earning early on, and get a head start into the concept of ‘adult life’ from an early age. Be sure to do your research into all the alternative options out there to find the best choice for you. If you change your mind about higher education later on, you can apply to university with your level 3 NVQ qualification or your BTEC results. Think it through If you’ve decided A Levels are the route you want to take, think about the relevance of your chosen subjects to your future. If you’re unsure what you want to do later on, keep your subjects varied, but if you know which area you want to go in to, then it’s important that you pick subjects relevant to the topic. Employers are crying out for those with more technical skills in maths and sciences as these jobs tend to not be too oversubscribed. Take this into account if you have a flair for these subjects, and perhaps consider a language if this is something you enjoy as it’ll make your CV stand out a little more. More information on what to do following your GCSE results can be found in the Careermap Results Day Guide: careermap.co.uk
Research offers lessons for young people heading for university
Develop your personal skills: New research offers lessons for young people heading for university New research on the importance of non-cognitive skills – such as conscientiousness, self-esteem and feeling in control of one’s life – for graduates’ earnings potential offers important lessons for young people receiving their A-level results. The study by Gerda Buchmueller and Professor Ian Walker, of Lancaster University Management School, confirms previous evidence on the importance of curriculum choice: STEM subjects add more value in terms of earnings than Arts subjects. Moreover, graduates from elite institutions, on average, earn more than those from less prestigious establishments. But even within any given course, the variance in graduate earnings is still large – despite prior ability, as measured by cognitive tests such as A-levels, having little variation across students within a course. What varies are their non-cognitive skills, and these differences drive degree class – and give rise to large pay differentials. The research will be presented at the European Economic Association annual congress in Manchester this month. Co-author Gerda Buchmueller, from Lancaster University’s Department of Economics, said: “While what you learn matters, how well you master what you learn is important too. Indeed, earnings differentials between degree classes are as large today as they were 20 years ago, even though four-times more students now earn first-class degrees. “The analysis points to the importance of university students’ own skills as inputs into their own further intellectual development: non-cognitive skills complement cognitive ability, as well as complementing good quality teaching.†The authors pointed to important lessons for young people: Understand that your choices matter for your future. Choose to do as well as you can in school. Be mindful of your non-cognitive skills. Choose university if you think it is the right way for you to develop your skills. But otherwise choose to develop your skills elsewhere. A dead-end job will end badly. Choose the best institution you can get into. Choose a subject that you will be enthusiastic about – one where you will want to choose to put in the effort to be successful. And be sure to choose any opportunity to improve your skills, especially if your chosen subject is, on average, not a high return one. Analytical skills are particularly highly valued in the labour market – ask at open days precisely how your course of interest will fill any gaps in your skill set. Professor Walker said: “Employers remunerate skills, not qualifications. Students who choose to treat university as consumption will take away only memories – and unfortunately for taxpayers, the loan system makes them pick up much of the resulting debt. “But students who choose to engage in university as an investment opportunity will, on average, go on to develop improved skills – and the taxpayer will be forever in their debt.â€
Over half of education professionals say work has damaged their mental health
Summertime blues: Over half of education professionals say work has damaged their mental health Are you feeling down right now? With summer drawing to a near close, a new survey from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, reveals that education professionals are feeling the effects of the upcoming seasonal change, with over half (56.9%) claiming that work is damaging their mental health. The research, which surveyed over 2,000 professionals, found that almost half (49.7%) of education professionals even considered resigning from their job because of this, with a further 62% stating that their workplace doesn’t do enough to support employees. When asked what their workplace could do to support employees with mental health issues, the respondents suggested the following: Reduce pressure to work longer hours (46.7%) Promote a healthy work-life balance (43.3%) Allow employees to take time out when they need to (39.5%) Refer employees to a counselling service (36.7%) Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments on the findings: “At this point in the year, daylight is dwindling, schools are set to reopen and the next prolonged period of time off may seem far away. It’s no wonder then that employees are already facing the post-summer blues; especially in education where teachers have to prepare for a new intake of students. “Indeed, the survey shows that those in education are feeling the effects of working longer hours; even in the summer personal time is quickly eaten up by marking and planning classes for the year ahead. It’s completely normal to struggle with the transition between the seasons, so don’t be afraid to put your mental health first by prioritising your work-life balance.†When asked who they’d be most likely to talk to about their mental health, a partner ranked highest (49%), with family (43.1%) and friends (37.3%) following. Shockingly, a fractional 5.9% of education professionals listed their boss as who they’d talk to, underlining that they are not seeking support from their employers. Biggins continues: “Our research shows the changes that education professionals most want to see in the workplace, but these aren’t likely to take effect if you don’t raise the subject with your employer. The more of us that speak out about our problems, the quicker we can establish change at work. Once we shake the stigma, solutions will follow.â€
Interactive learning platform Quizlet seeks expansion in the UK
Now fully launched in the UK, Quizlet (www.quizlet.com) is one of the world’s leading user-generated learning platforms and apps (and the market leader in the US): each month, relied-upon by over 50 million active learners, from 130 countries, to study and master more than 300 million user-generated study sets, on every topic and subject, from languages, mathematics and photography, to science, economics, and history. Beyond providing students with seven study modes (in 18 languages) to help them learn, revise, and test themselves on a plethora of subjects (both on and off-curriculum), Quizlet is also relied upon by more than one million teachers worldwide for its activities and collaborative in-classroom game. Quizlet was first devised in 2005 by Andrew Sutherland, at the time a 15-year-old high school student in California who needed a flashcard application to help revise for a French exam. Following its popularity amongst friends and fellow students, Sutherland released Quizlet to the public in 2007 as he was enrolling in a Computer Science degree at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). However, within three years, Quizlet had hit one million users and, at the encouragement of his professors, Sutherland left MIT to focus on his business. Today, Quizlet regularly ranks in the Top 10 lists for downloads in the educational category within the App Stores. The majority of study sets created and studied in the UK are focused on languages, science, and the humanities, highlighting how vastly popular Quizlet is among students in secondary school preparing for exams like the GCSE. The platform is also utilized by students who continue to use Quizlet for a variety of studies once in university and beyond. The platform supplements existing modes of learning, enabling students to engage with the study material in a way that suits their learning styles, as well as providing teachers with a vast array of study sets they can use with their own students. The learning activities and games on the platform help people effectively study over time and master foundational information. By using AI-powered technology, Quizlet also provides a customised learning experience, for example, giving guidance on what to study depending on the user’s level of understanding, suggesting ways in which to better master a subject if the user is struggling with a specific topic, as well as helping teachers recognise where to focus their curriculum content and roadmap. According to Edtech UK (2015), education technology is one of the fastest growing digital sectors in Britain making-up 4% of all digital companies, and a report by Metaari shows that the global edtech investments surged to $16.3 billion in 2018. Founder and CTO, Andrew Sutherland, says: “It makes me proud that what started as an online flashcard builder created for my high-school French exam has now become a tool depended upon by millions of students and teachers across the world. As Quizlet expands, we remain committed to providing affordable access to effective and engaging learning materials. Our aim is not to replace traditional learning but rather have a positive impact on education by offering a support tool for everyone.†Matthew Glotzbach, CEO comments: “Technology is key, and education is no exception. With students increasingly seeking digital tools to feel better prepared for classes and exams, growing our consumer learning platform in the UK is a priority. Our vision is to serve students and teachers by offering access to personalised and affordable resources, in order to enhance their learning and achieve success.†How Quizlet Works Millions of learners get to experience Quizlet for free. In addition to the free-to-use service, there are three paid-for subscription options and Premium Content that can be purchased. Study Modes and Games: The content that is accessible for everyone includes the following seven study modes and a classroom game: â— Flashcards – users can study digital flashcards based on the terms and definitions from any study sets they create or from millions of study sets put together by others. â— Quizlet Learn – this newest study mode uses machine learning technology to identify where a student is having trouble and adapts the study sessions to help them move from easier questions to tougher ones until they master the subject. To ensure achievement within a set time frame, Quizlet Learn can provide an individualised plan to remind students of when and what to practice, identifying areas of focus along the way. â— Quizlet Write – users are quizzed on terms and their definitions by writing in the answer. â— Quizlet Spell – users can practice their spelling by listening to audio definitions, and then write-out the word that they hear. This mode is particularly effective for those studying a new language or practising spelling and pronunciation in their native language. â— Quizlet Test – users get a chance to see how they might perform on in-class tests. This mode allows users to quiz themselves on the material and choose different question types based on the user’s preferences or how their teacher typically administers tests. â— Quizlet Match – this study game has users match up terms and definitions from their study sets and compete for the best score. â— Quizlet Gravity – in this space-themed game, users can gain points for identifying the right answers before the asteroids hit the ground. â— Quizlet Live – this collaborative classroom game lets teachers test students on specific topics as they work in teams to identify the right answers and get the most points. In addition to the seven modes and the classroom game, Quizlet also offers: â— Quizlet Diagrams – allows students to upload images and pin information to them. This new feature is useful for visual-heavy subjects, such as geography, anatomy, and architecture. Subscription Options: There are three types of subscriptions available for those who want enhanced study tools and resources. For students, Quizlet offers two subscription options, which allow access to these additional features: â— Quizlet Plus (£1.67/month) – offers users advanced content creation tools including image uploads, advanced diagram creation, night mode,
How to overcome the challenges of a growing classroom
GCSE students will collect the results of two years of their labour today and begin planning for the next stage of their lives – whether that be another step in academia, or out into the working world. But as the class of 2019 departs, the onus immediately falls back onto school leaders to prepare for a new year, and an entirely new set of learners – and a growing classroom, too. 2018 saw the largest proportion of secondary school class sizes of 31 or more pupils in 35 years, figures which are set to increase this coming September. Meanwhile, the DfE projects that the number of pupils in state secondary schools will be 10% higher in 2023 than at present, and the swelling numbers are putting pressure on teachers, whose already heavy workload is being exacerbated by them having to dedicate more time to administrative tasks, such as reports and test marking. The growing classroom is inevitable, and so education leaders must find ways to overcome the challenges it presents. So how can this be done? Growing classrooms, growing challenges First, let’s take a closer look at the perfect storm of challenges facing teachers and learners alike as classroom sizes grow. The obvious issue is that the larger the classroom, the less individual attention each learner receives from the teacher. This is detrimental not only to those individuals’ learning but also to the teacher’s wellbeing and job satisfaction; after all, most teachers enter the profession hoping to lavish attention on pupils and enable every individual to fulfil their own potential. Many tasks, such as marking and reporting responsibilities, increase in volume as classroom sizes increase because certain tasks have to be repeated for every learner. Larger classrooms can also make it harder for individual learners to participate really actively, especially if they are particularly shy or anxious. In turn, the teacher has to work harder to generate an engaging, stimulating and rewarding environment which works for all learners – and, once again, this increases stress and may reduce effectiveness also. All this means that larger classroom sizes make it vitally important for teacher time to be optimised, particularly when it comes to those per-pupil responsibilities such as marking which grow alongside the register. Marking currently takes up over a quarter of the average working day, with many hours accumulated during evenings and weekends – add five pupils to the classroom, and that’s five more exercise books to add to the list. Assessment and learner progress have also become the intense focus of teacher accountability and evaluation, and whilst these qualities are certainly critically important, they again add substantial workload for every new learner in the classroom. And all this is happening amidst a broader context of substantial teacher pressure. Recent research suggests that a quarter of teachers quit within their first year, and another poll suggests that 40% of teachers plan to leave their profession within the next five years. The demands of an ever-changing curriculum and assessment framework, alongside punishingly long hours and wider political uncertainty, mean that many teachers are already struggling to maintain morale and even a basic work-life balance. Increase their average classroom size and that balance begins to slip even further in the wrong direction. It’s about time Yet many of these challenges circle back on a relatively simple issue – teacher time. Growing classrooms mean more time spent on marking, reporting and administration – and therefore less time on the business of teaching. Larger classrooms mean less one-to-one time between individual teachers and learners. Save teacher time, then, and we can begin to alleviate many of the challenges associated with larger classrooms. And this is an area where Educational Technology (EdTech) can really help. Many teachers have understandably been resistant to EdTech which they see as faddish, technology for technology’s sake or time-consuming to get to grips with. Interactive whiteboards, for example, have widely been regarded as a failure, having gone ahead without teacher support and driving no significant benefits for learners or teachers. They look impressive, but they are not nearly as high-impact as they seem. More low-key, yet far more impactful, is EdTech which focuses on streamlining and automating those tedious, but necessary, teacher tasks which take time away from the actual business of teaching and which scale up irrevocably as classes grow: marking, completing reports and assessments, and basic administration. There are now solutions available, for example, which enable learning materials to be quickly and easily tailored to the needs of different classes – or different individuals within a class, dramatically cutting down on planning time. Or solutions which provide classroom worksheets that can be automatically marked in real-time. Or solutions with integrated digital analytics so that the performance of individuals and groups can be tracked – and fed into reporting templates – far more easily. Harnessing these benefits depends on having an EdTech procurement strategy which is teacher-led, thinking not just about those tasks which are most appropriate to streamline via digital technology, but also about aspects such as how long teachers need to spend being trained on or on-boarded to new technology. It depends, also, on having the right infrastructure in place to support the technology chosen – that is reliable, high-speed connectivity throughout the entire school premises. And it depends on recognising that the most effective EdTech isn’t generally the flashiest device or piece of hardware to display to a classroom, but rather the tools aimed at streamlining convoluted processes and automating manual tasks, thereby freeing up teacher time. Growing classrooms are always going to be a substantial challenge for teachers and schools to meet – but EdTech can make the journey far easier. Written by: Stuart Hales, CEO of EdTech specialist, Wand Education.
Bringing history to life through animation
Victoria Nielson, CEO of Waterloo 200, discusses getting youngsters engaged with history through the Age of Revolution project… Q&A on Waterloo 200’s history animation competition 1. Tell us about Waterloo 200 charity, about its background and how the Age of Revolution Project came about. Waterloo 200 is the official body recognised by the UK government to support the commemoration of the Battle of Waterloo. As part of our work we have launched a five-year educational legacy project – the Age of Revolution. The aim of the project is to broaden understanding and engagement of the revolution in Europe between 1775 and 1848. Our goal is to engage with over 2,000 national UK schools across the education spectrum through providing bespoke educational materials, multimedia technologies and creative educational partnerships. The Age of Revolution resource brings together objects and artworks from museums and galleries across the UK, together with facts, information and curriculum-linked ideas to help bring this extraordinary period to life. 2. Why did the charity decide to run an animation competition? We’re always looking for ways to link the extraordinary people, events and ideas of the time – such as protests, equality and the invention of things we now take for granted – with the lives of children and young people today. Animation is a great way to pull all of these aims together. One of the best ways to learn about something – including history – is to present or explain it to someone else. By creating an animation about the Age of Revolution, students have to really focus their learning about the period and think creatively about how to get their message across, in a fun and engaging way. We hope that presenting this as a competition will not only encourage more schools to have a go, but will also mean they can share their wonderful ideas with us – and others. We’ve included a step-by-step guide to making an animation in our online resource so we hope that will also help students (and teachers!) develop new skills in digital making. 3. Have you seen any entries yet and, if so, what impressed you? It’s a little early for entries at the moment as schools have until February 2020 to submit their entries. The judges are looking for imaginative, creative animations, which genuinely reflect students’ own ideas and thoughts about ‘Revolution’. We really want to encourage schools to be as creative as they want to be – they can use photography, clay or digital apps. We just want people to have fun with it and for their film to answer the question “What Does Revolution Mean to Me?†We are lucky to be working with hugely talented judges who are experts in creativity, filmmaking and history. From historian and Waterloo 200 ambassador Dan Snow to award-winning Casting Director Kate Rhodes-James, BBC Animation Producer Barry Quinn and Anra Kennedy, Partnerships Director at Culture24, our judges are waiting to be impressed. 4. How can schools get involved in the competition? Firstly, we need schools to encourage their children to engage with the competition and what revolution means to them. We would point teachers towards our Revolutionary collection held on our website (ageofrevolution.org) to introduce their students to the objects and images of the Age of Revolution. Students may want to look at the Age of Revolution as a whole or concentrate on a specific theme for their film – be that Riots and reforms or the Industrial Revolution. We then would ask teachers to plan a simple story with their class which will form the arc of their animation, as well as to think about the different elements – from characters to format to colours and storylines. It’s then down to creating the film! 5. Do you provide wider resources on the Age of Revolution for schools? We have many free online resources for teachers supported by the Age of Revolution project. It includes an online gallery of over 100 revolutionary objects, carefully selected from museums and galleries across the UK, with facts and information written specifically for teachers. Teachers can choose from our range of tried-and-tested historical enquiries, creative challenges, activities and ideas, to bring classroom learning to life across the curriculum, for all ages. Schools can visit ageofrevolution.org for more information and a bank of free resources. 6. What do you have planned for the future? We’re about to launch a graphic novel about the Peterloo Massacre – created specially for schools. It’s been created by Polyp, Robert Poole and Ben Marsh (our historian partner from the University go Kent) – it’s described as: “The explosive tale of Peterloo, told through the voices of those who were there. A vivid, original and historically accurate ‘comic book’ visual account of the 1819 Manchester massacre, to be published as part of the 200th anniversary commemorations.†As with all our resources it will be accompanied by associated classroom activities for teachers. We have also just closed an exciting funding opportunity for schools and museums to apply for funding to develop digital making projects. We want them to work together to use simple digital tools such as apps, green screening, video, 3D printing, microcomputers etc to get creative with ‘Revolutionary’ museum collections – and with our own online ‘Revolutionary collection’ of objects. We’ll be working with successful applicants from September on these projects and will share any great ideas on our website as part of our resource, for other museums and schools to try.