Using AI to support teaching and learning in Alternative Provision settings
Fleur Sexton, Deputy Lieutenant West Midlands and CEO of dynamic training provider, PET-Xi, with a reputation for success with the hardest to reach, discusses harnessing the power of AI to support teaching and re-engaging learners in alternative provision (AP) settings According to Government statistics, in the last school year the permanent exclusion rate (as a proportion of the overall school population) for pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) was approximately four times greater, at 16.02, than those not eligible at 4.26. Suspension rates for pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHC) was 17.63, those with special educational needs (SEN) support but no EHC plan was 18.59 and those without SEN was 4.59. Permanent exclusions followed the trend, with those with EHC plans at 0.13, those with SEN and no EHC plan at 0.25, followed by those with no SEN at 0.05. The rates may look relatively small, but they equate to 6,495 permanently excluded children, and 578,280 suspensions. For all these suspended, temporarily or permanently excluded pupils, alternative provision (AP) becomes the ‘last stop’ to provide them with an education and improved life chances. Can AI open up opportunities and provide a pathway towards educational and social equity for these disadvantaged young people? There are over 160,000 autistic pupils in schools across England. 70% are in mainstream school, with the remaining in specialist education, home educated or alarmingly – out of education altogether. ‘Persistent disruptive behaviour’ – the most commonly cited reason for temporary or permanent exclusion from mainstream education – often results from unmet or undiagnosed SEN or social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. These pupils find themselves unable to cope in a mainstream environment, which impacts their mental health and personal wellbeing, and their abilities to engage in a positive way with the curriculum and the challenges of school routine. A multitude of factors all adding to their feelings of frustration and failure.According to the SEND and AP improvement plan, (March 2023) ‘…82% of children and young people in state-place funded alternative provision have identified special educational needs (SEN) 2, and it (AP) is increasingly being used to supplement local SEND systems…’ Children excluded from school face a bleak future, with just 4% achieving a pass in English and maths GCSEs, and 50% becoming NEET post-16. Exclusion is often referred to as ‘the pipeline to prison’, and the statistics support that: 42% of prisoners were expelled or permanently excluded from school, 59% truanted, and around 47% of those entering prison had no school qualifications. Currently AP is in crisis. Some excluded pupils on waiting lists for a placement have online lessons or tutors, others are simply not being educated. Oversubscribed AP settings lead to increased class sizes and reduced teacher:pupil ratios, so they no longer receive the levels of additional support they need. Other unregulated settings provide questionable educational advantage to those who attend. AI can help redress the balance, and provide part of the solution. Those attending AP, often have well ingrained negative associations with learning. The first barrier is to find ways to re-engage them. To do this the content must be meaningful to them, it must connect to the real world and reflect their own experiences. A persuasive essay about school uniforms, may fire the debate for a successful learner, but it is probably not going to be a hot topic for a child struggling with a chaotic or dysfunctional home life. If that child is dealing with high levels of adversity – being a carer for a relative, keeping the household going, dealing with pressure to join local gangs, being coerced into couriering drugs and weapons around the neighbourhood – school uniform does not hold sway. It has little to do with their life. Asking the group about the subjects they feel strongly about, or responding to local news stories from their neighbourhoods, and using these to create tasks, will provide a more enticing hook to pique their interest. After all, in many situations, the subject of a task is just the ‘hanger’ for the skills they need to learn – in this case, the elements of creating a persuasive piece, communicating perspectives and points of view. Using AI, teachers have the capacity to provide this individualised content and personalised instruction and feedback. Supporting learners by addressing their needs and ‘scaffolding’ their learning through adaptive teaching. AI can be a ‘third’ teacher in the room, alongside the class teacher and assistant. For example, if a learner is having difficulty grasping a concept – especially an abstract one, the AI tutor can produce several relevant analogies to help explain it. AI can also be used to develop interactive learning modules, so the learner has more control and more of a sense of ownership over their learning. This is by no means a replacement for teachers or teaching assistants. AI is purely an additional support, that, coupled with approaches that promote engagement with learning, can support these disadvantaged and often vulnerable children and young people, enabling them to access ‘a world-class education that allows them to reach their potential and live a fulfilled life, regardless of their background.’ (DfE) Fleur Sexton, CEO PET-Xi www.pet-xi.co.uk. Read more QA Education features
Major round of appointments to NASBTT Board of Trustees
Six education and training leaders have been recruited to the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) Board of Trustees. Cat Scutt MBE, Deputy CEO, Education and Research at the Chartered College of Teaching, brings a range of sector-wide expertise to the NASBTT Board. A former English teacher, Cat’s roles have since focused on supporting teacher development both online and through face-to-face activities, with a particular emphasis on development using digital technology, through collaboration and by engagement with research and evidence. She has worked as a teacher and advisor in the state and independent sector, as well as in corporate learning and development. Cat leads the Chartered College’s work around teacher development and certification, including the Chartered Teacher programme, and its research activities and publications, including its award-winning Impact journal. Damilola Dauda is Head of Operations at the Teacher Development Trust (TDT). She joined TDT in 2021 as Delivery Partner Manager, beginning her new role overseeing the operational delivery of TDT NPQs and other offers last March. Damilola’s career in education started with teaching summer school to primary school children in Nigeria as a teenager, before gaining a teaching English as a foreign language qualification and then becoming a qualified teacher via the PGCE route. She spent six years as a secondary Maths teacher in an inner-city school in London and then two years teaching abroad in Peru. Jo Anderson, SCITT Programme Director at Wildern Partnership SCITT, has 25 years’ experience in education and has held roles as ITT Programme Director for ten years, External Moderator and more recently DfE ITT Market Associate. She is a secondary MFL specialist and over the years has taught primary MFL, secondary ICT and computing, and has led early career development in a variety of settings. Keith Ford, Programme Manager at Somerset SCITT, has been a primary education class teacher, middle leader, senior leader and Headteacher of both a small rural school and large primary school, including autism centre. Across his career spanning 25 years he has always supported ITT and ITE. Keith has been a governor of various primary and secondary schools alongside his professional roles, giving him an understanding of the strategic importance as well as the accountability of governance. Kikelomo Agunbiade, a Research and Training Consultant, trained as a science teacher through the Teach First scheme and has worked for a number of education charities and teacher training organisations. Her roles have included leading the DfE-funded Researchers in Schools niche ITT route, North London Manager for Teach First and running CPD for Teaching Schools, Heads, middle and senior leaders for SSAT. She currently provides education consultancy services including training on race and diversity, education and market research (qualitative and quantitative) and strategy development. Stephanie Rodgers is Deputy Headteacher – Curriculum and Assessment at Dr Challoner’s Grammar School. Her senior leadership responsibilities have included the set up and leadership of Astra SCITT in Buckinghamshire which has been through the ITE Ofsted inspection process in both 2018 as a new SCITT, and in 2023 under the current ITE Inspection Framework. Stephanie led the reaccreditation process for Astra SCITT as part of the ITT Market Review and the formation of Astra Teaching School Hub, and is now also an Ofsted inspector for ITE. The appointments follow the arrivals of business and finance specialists Alison O’Dornan and Sidikat Taiwo in the past 18 months, and new Chair of Trustees Anna Richards last November. Anna said: “We are delighted to welcome our new Trustees who bring such a wealth of experience in ITT, education and commercial professionals to NASBTT. The diversity of our Board is now truly reflective of our membership, and together we look forward to reviewing, shaping and supporting NASBTT’s strategic direction.” NASBTT Executive Director Emma Hollis added: “I would like to formally and warmly welcome our new Trustees. Damilola, Kikelomo, Cat, Keith, Stephanie and Jo joined us for their first meetings earlier this month and we are really excited to be working with them as we, and the ITT sector, enter a new phase moving into 2024-25.” Next week (28th and 29th November), NASBTT is holding its online Annual Conference 2023 Mind the Gap, sponsored by MOSAIC. Speakers include DfE, Foundation for Education Development, nasen, National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Ofsted, TDT and a number of SCITTs, HEIs, and Teaching School Hubs. Read more QA Educations News
Jo Brand backs Glasbury Arts project to provide free harp tuition
Two big names from two very different parts of the arts world – Jo Brand and harpist Catrin Finch – feature in a new short film telling the story of a Glasbury Arts project providing free harp tuition to students in a secondary school on the Welsh borders. The film, released tomorrow (Nov 17), has been made thanks to the passion and commitment of award-winning cinematographer Richard Greatrex (Shakespeare in Love, A Knight’s Tale), who gave his time and expertise to enable Glasbury Arts, a small community charity in mid-Wales, to shine a light on the project and raise both awareness of the project and funds to enable its expansion. Harps in Schools features Catrin Finch, Head of Harp at the Royal Academy of Music and comedian Jo Brand, talking about how Glasbury Arts, founders of the annual international Glasbury Arts Harp Summer School, set up the experimental project to provide free harp tuition to students at Gwernyfed High School, especially those whose families cannot afford to pay. Catrin and Jo are joined in the film by students and parents explaining what the project has meant to them. Funding for state schools to provide free music tuition for young people ended in the mid-nineties when the government removed music from the core curriculum and most, not all, local authorities completely cut the funding. Today, if a state school wants to provide music tuition it has to charge parents, meaning that the majority of young people do not even consider learning to play an instrument. Harps in Schools provides a unique opportunity for young people, whose parents cannot afford to pay to experience the pleasure and satisfaction of a playing a musical instrument – “the beginning of a music service in our part of Wales” declares Catrin Finch. Visit glasburyarts.co.uk/film or visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSnOxDkWLYY to watch Harps in School, a short film made by award-winning cinematographer Richard Greatrex and his team about this innovative project. People can donate to what Jo Brand describes in the film as ‘such a good cause’, either via the link on-screen or by sending a cheque made out to Glasbury Arts Ltd at 5 Twin Oaks, Glasbury-on-Wye.
NHS England launches annual school careers contest
Schools across England are being invited to join an exciting curriculum-linked contest which raises career aspirations and teaches pupils about the National Health Service. Developed in partnership with teachers, the annual Step into the NHS competition encourages secondary school students to research and create a job advert for an NHS profession while learning about more than 350 careers in the health service. Winning pupils will be presented with Amazon gift vouchers and have the chance to see their work displayed in the local community. Participating schools are provided with a wealth of free learning resources and lesson plans. Previous entrants have emphasised what a fulfilling learning experience the contest is, with 90 per cent of teachers saying Step into the NHS has helped their students understand the range of career opportunities in the NHS. The resources are aligned to the KS3 curriculum, helping teachers meet several of the Department for Education’s careers strategy aims and the Gatsby benchmarks for Good Career Guidance. This year’s national winner, 14-year-old Tanvir Tamber, impressed the judges with a poster and video exploring the role of an A & E doctor. Now the pupil at Derby Moor Spencer Academy, Derby, has been rewarded by seeing her winning entry tour her home town, including schools and shopping centres, on the side of an environmentally-friendly advertising van. She said she had enjoyed researching a career for which she had a ‘genuine passion’. “The highlight was discovering the amount of insight needed and the range of conditions you have to be able to deal with, enabling you to discover your eventual specialism,” she added. Tanvir’s teacher Carol Eziz said: “Our other students asked lots of questions and are really proud that one of their own has created something so wonderful. ‘The competition gave us a great opportunity to promote thinking seriously about careers in the NHS and see that if you put in hard work and effort, amazing things can happen.” Hundreds of schools take part in the Step into the NHS competition every year. This year’s resources are newly-refreshed and include a ‘ready to go’ lesson plan which can be delivered in just an hour. Teachers can find full details here:- https://www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/secondary-school Read more QA Education News
Education Committee to probe why so many teachers are quitting
The Education Committee will question experts from think tanks to understand how turnover in the teaching workforce compares with other professions in England and with education sectors in other countries. The cross-party Committee begins its investigation tomorrow in an attempt to help the DfE develop strategies for retaining teachers. At the Conservative Party conference Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a number of policies and financial incentives designed to encourage new entrants to teaching and retain current staff. Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the NEU, said they were unlikely to work, commenting there was ‘no magic wand’ to create the numbers needed to fulfil sufficient needs. Mr Kebede commented: “The recruitment and retention crisis is caused in the main by excessive workload and below inflation pay. This is a root and branch problem not solved by bursaries, ‘golden hellos’ and other Whitehall gimmicks.” The Education Committee will hear that the teaching profession is seeing increasing levels of churn. 9.7% of teachers left the workforce in 2021/22; 91% of that number left to pursue a different career. DfE research from 2021 found that 24% of teachers left the profession within three years of qualifying. In a 2018 OECD study, England was shown to have had a higher proportion of teachers who said they wanted to leave the profession compared to an average across the 38 member states. MPs will question witnesses on how the Government should develop an effective workforce plan, and whether best practice or strategies could be learned from other public services such as the NHS. There will be questions on how the career development, pay and workloads of teachers in England broadly compare with other sectors to see what lessons could be applied to the education sector. The cross-party Committee will also be interested to hear about the effectiveness of recent interventions from the Department for Education such as the School Workload Reduction Toolkit and the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which promoted flexible working and access to mental health and wellbeing resources. Evidence already heard by the Committee has suggested that among contributors to workloads are providing pastoral care for pupils, preparing for Ofsted inspections, data collection and marking. MPs have also heard growing concern about non-specialist teachers filling in for lessons in subjects such as physics and maths due to staff shortages across the country. Evidence session Teacher recruitment, training and retention Tuesday 14 November, 10:00, Committee Room 15 Watch live on parliamentlive.tv Witnesses from 10:00: From 10:45: Read more QA Education News
Educational Resources Inspired By ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse’, Released Today
Award-winning Author Charlie Mackesy has partnered with National Literacy Trust, Penguin Random House UK and BBC Teach to share free educational resources inspired by his beloved bestseller The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. Since the publication of the book in 2019, and 2022 animated film adaption, Charlie has received messages, pictures, hand-made books and drawing from teachers and children who have engaged with the story in classrooms and online platforms. In response, a collection of resources has been produced to assist teachers with their lesson plans, assemblies, and performances providing an opportunity for children to explore the messages of the book. Together with writer and musician Charlotte Freud, Charlie has produced a musical for schools adapted from the Oscar winning animated short film currently available on BBC iPlayer. Written to be performed in schools by children from Years 1-6. A playscript, sheet music, sing-along learning videos, performance tracks and backdrop artworks will all be available for free on the BBC Teach platform from 3 November 2023. The musical play has six easy-to-learn new songs for children to perform both as soloists and ensembles – allowing groups of all sizes and ages to take part. The performance-based resource pack engages children in the book’s messages through interactive sessions. Charlie Mackesy says “I hope perhaps it opens up the world a bit more to children, giving them a deeper understanding of the messages of the book. I hope learning the lines as simple mantras will allow them to repeat them all their lives, and stay in their hearts. “I hope it gives teachers and children alike, permission to explore – feel free to do what they like – perform every word faithfully; or change some lines as they see best; leave out whole scenes or just rehearse and perform one of them; workshop it, make it different or even find themselves creating a while new play all of their own. I hope they enjoy it.” In partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Random House UK, a resource pack including Assembly Plans and Activity Packs for KS1 And KS2 has been made available in celebration of World Kindness Day (13th November). These resources link directly to the national curriculum, in particular the PSHE Association’s programme of study, and explore ways we can show kindness to one another and invite children to think about their own wellbeing. Partner and publisher of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Penguin Random House UK, will also donate books to over 64 primary schools for a World Kindness Day “kindness drive”. A gesture followed by Puffin’s World of Stories team, who will be gifting over 450 copies of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: The Animated Story (published to accompany the animated short film) to teachers and librarians attending their regional networking sessions during November. Read more QA Education news
Tomorrow’s Engineers Week – On a mission to challenge perceptions of careers in STEM
If someone told me when I was at school that I would grow up to have a job working in space, I would have been over the moon (no pun intended). I always thought a career in STEM required strong maths skills or good science grades – but luckily for me, that isn’t the case. And I’m on a mission to inspire others to explore the many different routes that can be taken into career in STEM. So, how did I land my dream job designing power stations in space? I will be revealing all in a live broadcast for schools during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (6 to 10 November). It’s an annual celebration of engineering and technology careers designed to inspire the next generation. But let me explain how I got here and how I think more students should be encouraged to think of space – and more broadly engineering – as a career path. My journey has been the epitome of a ‘squiggly career’. But since deferring my undergraduate degree in computer programming, I now know that I was right to change direction. Doing something that excites and inspires me every day is so important. I spent a brilliant 11 years working as a marine engineer on auxiliary ships that support the Royal Navy. I learnt that a marine engineer can absolutely become a tritium development engineer then a fusion energy engineer and now a space energy development engineer. In my current role, I have discovered that space is as exciting as it promises to be. After all, how many people do you bump into in your local supermarket who can say that their actual job is designing a solar power station that sits in space? I identify possible solutions. I analyse the merits of the said solutions. I then get to calculate, design and model components for our spacecraft. These problem-solving and analytical thinking skills are crucial in driving innovation across the industry. But curiosity and creativity are just as important. I love my job and feel passionately that many, many more young people should be encouraged to think about a career in engineering. Where do you start? Well, ask your class these questions: Are you a curious creative who has only dreamt of a career linked to space? Love going to gigs? Have you thought about pursuing a career in music – perhaps as a live sound engineer? Are you someone who loves to problem solve? Do you want to be part of a global team delivering an era-defining new form of energy? Do you want to be involved in accelerating innovation in areas such as autonomous space robotics, energy transfer as well as in-space assembly and manufacturing? Reaching net zero is the greatest single global endeavour undertaken. Our survival as a species depends on it. It requires a stepped change in our behaviour on so many fronts, including how and where we generate and consume energy. We know how passionate young people are about climate change and sustainability. Engineers across the world are and will continue to play a huge role in finding solutions to complex, global problems. I am proud to be playing a tiny part in that seismic goal – and you could too. So, what can you do to support your students considering a career in engineering? Join the Tomorrow’s Engineers Week 2023 live broadcast on 6 November where I will be discussing my pathway into engineering, alongside other inspiring engineers and technicians across many different and we hope, surprising industries. A recording will also be available shortly afterwards on the Tomorrow’s Engineers website. And remember, the week is packed with a whole host of other interactitve activities to excite and inspire students. By Mike Hontoir – Space Energy Development Engineer, Space Solar To find out more, visit www.teweek.org.uk
Overlooking School Sprinkler Systems – The High Price Of Short-Term Thinking
School sprinkler systems are still relatively rare. Fewer than one-in-six new schools have been built with a sprinkler system installed yet the fire incident statistics for England in primary/secondary and other educational establishments has seen a rise from 250 in 2020/21 to 341 in 2021/22. This begs the question as to why are we not investing appropriately in our school estate and leaving our schools vulnerable to fire and its impact? The price of underinvestment in school buildings was brought to bear in early September with the news that 174 schools were either forced to close or install temporary classrooms due to the presence of crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Whilst the safety of students is paramount, it has led to disruption and financial implications with pandemic-style remote learning and temporary classrooms having become the order of the day. Structurally unsound schools leading to disruption is clearly a significant challenge but fire can also have an impact on a child’s education. In August, two significant school fires caused extensive damage and disruption. On August 12th, a nursery in Hartlepool suffered 10% fire damage and complete smoke damage to the nursery while the rest of the school experienced lighter smoke damage. On August 17th, a fire in Bolton, caused even more damage to the very heart of the SS Simon and Jude CE Primary School, with the main teaching spaces, central hall and kitchens destroyed by fire. The school has over 600 pupils. When students returned to classes after the summer holiday, temporary arrangements were needed for classrooms undergoing reconstruction. The ripple effects of such incidents are far-reaching, with fires causing significant disruption even if they do not engulf entire school premises. The short time frame meant students had to navigate prolonged disruptions potentially spanning months. An event that did not attract as much attention was a fire that broke out at the unsprinklered Ash Green Primary School in Mixenden on February 1st 2022. Despite 10 fire crews responding, the blaze destroyed a quarter of the key stage two block, displacing upper school pupils to temporary classrooms. The estimated £4.5 million rebuild has just started and is noted to take until close to 2025 to complete. It is worth stressing that the fire at Ash Green Primary was not about the destruction of the whole school. Whilst such events garner the headlines fires that cause damage to two or three education spaces or classrooms can really have an impact. Put simply, a school just runs out of space to relocate students in such an incident, and it leads to the work of an entire school/department and the delivery of education being hampered. In the case of Ash Green, it has led to the revamp of the school costing millions of pounds funded by Government and ultimately taxpayers. A thousand school children displaced Whilst many may be struck by the financial consequences the key item is that across these three events is that over 1,100 pupils were displaced, causing weeks of disrupted lessons and childcare adjustments for parents. That impact continued until they found temporary accommodation but that was not always in the same place as the original school. The timeline for rebuilding a school is not short, and can stretch to two to three years. Government is insistent that even a week’s interruption to their education would have a negative impact on a child’s attainment. Their stance on this matter is so resolute that they impose a daily fine of £60 on parents for taking their children out of school. Fires such as those described have an even greater impact and it’s a similar level of disruption to the schools that were impacted by RAAC. A study conducted in 2020 by Zurich Municipal revealed alarming statistics – over the past five years, schools in England encountered a staggering 2,300 fires. The study projects potential disruption to education, estimating that as many as 390,000 teaching hours could be lost within a year due to significant fires, affecting 28,000 students. The monetary ramifications are equally dire, with the average repair bill for substantial fire incidents hovering around £2.9 million, while certain catastrophic fires can rack up costs of up to £20 million. Measures such as sprinklers drastically reduce the amount of damage done when there is a fire, and enable schools to get up-and-running quickly, reducing the cost, both economically and socially, to the public. Schools have always been a vital part of the community for events, meetings, and activities. These can also continue with minimal interruption ensuring the continuity of service to the community. Many educational facilities are built at low cost without considering long-term resilience or upkeep. When disaster strikes, the true costs emerge. Entire school communities suffer, with hundreds of students displaced and lesson plans upended, sometimes for years. Perhaps if we invested appropriately in quality school infrastructure from the outset, prioritising key resilience measures like sprinklers, these crises could have been averted or minimised. It seems we put off costs in the short-term only to pay an even higher price further down the road. Whether the wave of school closures is a result of fire or RAAC, the question remains: are we properly investing in our children’s schools for the long haul, or merely building as cost-effectively as possible in the hope of surviving the next 30 years without incident? By Thomas Roche – Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance Read more QA Education news
Teachers Believe Ebooks Benefit Primary Pupils’ Reading But Only A Third Have Access
A new report on the impact of eBooks on reading for pleasure has been published by the National Literacy Trust in association with Pearson, the world’s leading digital media learning company. The report, Using eBooks to support reading for pleasure in 2023 brings together responses from more than 500 primary educators, including classroom teachers, headteachers and SENCOs, and paints an illuminating picture of digital tools and their perceived impact on primary pupils today. Key findings from the report show that: The benefits of eBook use are far reaching, with more than three-quarters of teachers whose pupils’ access eBooks believing they can support opportunities for personalised learning (77%) and reading for pleasure (76%) in all children. 58% believe they enhance engagement in reading, over half (54%) say eBooks provide an opportunity to support different learning needs, and a quarter (26%) feel eBooks encourage greater family engagement with books and reading. Access to an eBook library is reported by over 80% of all respondents who used digital tools to provide a positive impact on children’s reading enjoyment (86%), choice (85%) and motivation (83%), with over three quarters reporting benefits to comprehension (76%) and independent reading (77%). What’s more, teachers without access to eBook libraries reported a desire to access more high-quality books that are diverse and interactive, with on-screen features to offer adaptive, personalised learning. Building on existing research that stresses the importance of reading for pleasure in boosting literacy, wellbeing and long-term socioeconomic outcomes for children, the report also explored current barriers to the use of eBooks in primary schools, despite their many benefits. These include a general lack of staff training and professional development, as well as a lack of staff confidence around digital resources – this in spite of the widespread use of digital tools in the 2020-21 Covid-19 lockdowns. Speaking about the findings, Lindsay Nadin, Director of Primary at Pearson, said: “These are hugely important insights from the frontline of primary classrooms, and indicate a strong appetite from primary teachers for diverse, adaptive choices that bring all learners enjoyment through reading – and so vitally strengthen their literacy skills along the way. “There is much to love about current advances in the digital landscape – especially around how tools can deepen a passion for reading in schools – but the presence of a digital divide must not be overlooked. “Given national warnings that fewer children enjoy reading in their free time, extending access to eBooks outside school – with engaging options that can be accessed on mobile phones, tablets and other onscreen devices – could be a vital step in switching learners on to literacy. This is especially pertinent for the 1 in 10 children from lower-income backgrounds who do not have a book of their own at home.” Dr Christina Clark, Director of Research and Evaluation at The National Literacy Trust, said: “The percentage of children and young people who tell us that they enjoy reading, and read for pleasure daily, has been on a downward trend in recent years, with reading enjoyment at its lowest level in 15 years. It is therefore imperative that we explore every way possible to support children’s reading, and we hope that these new insights into teachers’ experiences and perceptions of using eBooks contribute to the evidence base around digital support for reading for pleasure at school and at home.” Pearson are committed to ensuring every child can develop a lifelong love of reading no matter their ability, background or identity. As part of this commitment, Pearson has created Bug Club Reading Corner. Reading Corner is an online reading-for-pleasure library for primary pupils, with over 100 beautiful books by a range of diverse authors and illustrators. Children can choose books to read according to their interests. Books in Reading Corner are mobile-friendly and Reception and KS1 books offer Read-To-Me audio options, enabling even more children to access exciting stories at school, at home and elsewhere. You can try Reading Corner free for 30 days as part of Pearson’s all- new Bug Club eBook Library: pearsonprimary.co.uk/ReadingCorner With a subscription to Pearson’s Bug Club eBook Library, educators looking for support around reading for pleasure can also access professional development created in partnership with Professor Teresa Cremin and her team at The Open University. There are six online modules covering a range of teaching topics, including building communities of readers. Lindsay continued: “As we continue to seek the views of teachers, parents and pupils, we are committed to ensuring the next chapter is collaborative, so that every child can be part of the story.” For further information, visit go.pearson.com/nlt Click here to read more QA Education news