The Future Of Digital GCSE Exams In Our Schools
Last autumn, England’s largest examination board for GCSE exams, AQA, revealed its intention for pupils to sit their GCSE exams partly digitally in at least one major subject by 2030. By Adam Speight, acting Assistant Headteacher and content creator for Access Education. The announcement, intended to ‘allow young people to use their digital skills’, set the wheels in motion for a series of developments which leave little doubt that digital assessment will become a key part of our education system. Just a few months ago, AQA subsequently launched a free digital maths test to help teachers work out why some students are struggling with the subject. Aimed at Key Stage 3 students and those preparing for a maths GCSE resit, the on-screen test reacts to the answers a student gives, powered by ‘adaptive technology’. Similar tests, which assess and help improve students’ knowledge through instantaneous, automated feedback, are already being used in schools up and down the country. They provide early insight into the impact of widespread digital test adoption – and, crucially, what lessons can be learnt from the results. Data-driven insights Earlier this year, data from over 80,000 GCSE students, who collectively answered over 6 million questions through digital assessments, formed the basis of GCSEPod’s Knowledge and Confidence Gap Analysis Report 2023/24. It helped to pinpoint the exact areas where students currently struggle across a range of subjects, including Maths, English and Science. Recalling and correctly applying formulae (66.7% incorrect attempts) and dividing fractions (62.9% incorrect attempts) were revealed as the areas of foundational knowledge students struggled with in Maths, following news that pass rates have fallen for GCSE maths resits this year. Meanwhile, in English Language, students have faced difficulty understanding how to use apostrophes and quotation marks (69.1% incorrect attempts), with basic punctuation an area of low confidence nationwide. In Combined Science, the commonality of errors relating to equations and data could mean that inadequate understanding of mathematical skills and process may be affecting both confidence and attainment. Overcoming areas of difficulty Through understanding where students’ knowledge is lacking and misconceptions are frequent, teachers can focus their efforts in these areas, implementing easy solutions such as recapping lessons or undertaking targeted revision sessions. While many teachers gain this understanding through traditional pen and paper marking methods, digital tests can help predict what areas a cohort will struggle with before they do, based on the vast amount of data from the year before. Digital tests also help to alleviate teacher workload here – a clear advantage when teaching commitments and administrative tasks often leave very little time for lesson planning. And, as the teacher recruitment and retention crisis shows no signs of subsiding and increasing numbers of schools have to use non-specialist teachers, digital tests can assist in alleviating shortcomings in teacher knowledge. Structured feedback helps provide both learners and teachers with additional support. It can be a challenge to pry digitally-savvy students away from their phones, but digital tests are also an effective way of helping to ‘meet students where they are’, not to mention more inclusive. They help those who can type faster than they can write, while alleviating the need to worry about how your writing looks. For those, like myself, who are dyslexic, this is particularly helpful. From the classroom to the exam hall Though digital exams remain a vision of the near future, it’s clear there is an appetite building. A 2022 TeacherTapp survey of nearly 4000 secondary teachers, found that 75% of teachers believed that on-screen assessment would be a good thing, if challenges such as access to technology are addressed effectively. With such concerns valid, a clear way forward is to focus on incorporating digital tests into everyday learning now, familiarising students with best practice and introducing the correct infrastructure into classrooms. Digital exams will likely never fully replace traditional written examination, with a hybrid approach keeping in place the benefits of both. The positive impact of this is being seen in our schools already and with technology only advancing, it’s an exciting area to watch. To find out more about GCSEPod’s Knowledge Gap report, visit https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/education/resources/where-in-england-has-the-biggest-gcse-knowledge-gap/
Competition regulator to investigate UK’s largest education software firm ESS
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether ESS has broken the law by taking action to prevent schools from switching to a new management information system provider. Management information systems are important databases used to handle student information, such as attendance and safeguarding, and most UK schools are required to have these databases in place. Education Software Solutions Ltd (ESS) is the largest provider of these systems in the UK, with approximately a 50% share of the market in England, and even higher in Wales and Northern Ireland. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has received complaints from a number of ESS’s customers suggesting the firm is making it difficult for them to switch to a new provider. These schools reported they had been warned by ESS that they would not be able to share a copy of their database with a new provider, as doing so would breach ESS’s intellectual property rights. The CMA understands that sharing database back-up copies is a longstanding and widespread practice used in the sector for data transfer of this kind and, without it, the CMA is concerned that schools’ ability to move to a new provider would be severely hampered. While some means of switching are permitted by the company, they are reportedly complex, time consuming and error prone. Moreover, schools and competitors reported that ESS had objected to the alternative solutions put forward to enable the extraction of their data. The CMA will be investigating ESS to determine whether or not the law has been breached. As part of this, the CMA will consider whether it needs to impose interim measures to prevent harm from occurring while it carries out its investigation. If the allegations against ESS are found to be true, such behaviour could be a breach competition law. Juliette Enser, Interim Executive Director of Competition Enforcement, said: “We’re concerned about the complaints we’ve received regarding ESS’s alleged behaviour. As such, we’ll be investigating their conduct with urgency to get to the bottom of the matter. “Management information systems are an integral part of protecting schools’ data, reducing costs, and safeguarding students. It’s essential that schools are able to pick the most appropriate system for their needs – and change providers with ease when their contract is up.” In 2022, ESS offered the CMA commitments following a review to determine whether the company was using its dominant position in the market to push schools into accepting new 3-year contracts, where previously they had run for just one year. The binding commitments enabled eligible schools to exit early from their 3-year contract, and the CMA continues to monitor ESS’s compliance with these commitments. The CMA’s new concerns in relation to ESS’s conduct focus on a different possible abuse of dominance and are therefore the subject of a separate investigation. A spokesperson for ESS, said: “We are extremely surprised at this sudden announcement by the CMA, which overlooks the fact that there are legitimate methods of migrating data from SIMS to the systems provided by our competitors. Guidance on these methods has long been available and we have made multiple communications to competitors, customers (and their support providers) explaining this. “That some competitors have chosen to ignore these methods and have instead created a “workaround” that accesses our core code, is the only abuse in this situation. “It simply cannot be correct that the only way to sustain a competitive market is for one organisation to be forced to allow its competitors open access to its core intellectual property, which it has invested large amounts of time and money in developing.“
Why are schools prime targets for ransomware?
By Dakota Murphey Cyber security threats have been a hot topic among professionals across a range of sectors in recent years, and education is no different. While Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check scams have created recent problems for teaching job seekers, it’s not uncommon to find heads of schools, colleges and universities caught in the proverbial crossfires of a nefarious cyber incident, system breach, or situation that could compromise student data integrity. The rise of ransomware in the education sector Given how digitised many education facilities have become in recent years, understanding the potential cyber risks with classroom or top-level system technology is vital. One of the most deadly and fast-rising types of cybercrime is ransomware, which is affecting education institutions in the UK like never before. On the surface, it may seem puzzling why malicious actors would target schools, but a closer examination reveals several compelling reasons behind this evolving cyber security method. A recent report revealed that ransomware attacks increased by 87% in the UK and 37% globally in the first half of 2023. This highly sophisticated form of malware (malicious software) can, at best, be a disruptive nuisance, but at worst, can lock down critical systems and extort funds from education providers. With many schools needing to find the best way possible to set an effective limited budget, they can ill afford to face yet another financial ‘shot in the arm’ at times when costs are high. What’s more, education providers are bound by heavy regulations that mandate safe and strict cyber security infrastructure in place to safeguard student and stakeholder data. If a ransomware (or indeed, any other) incident were to compromise this vital data, the education facility could suffer further financial or reputational damage. Therefore, it’s fair to say that headteachers and decision-makers should pay close attention to the evolving threat of ransomware. To do that, it’s prudent to examine why it has proliferated to such a degree in education settings and what head teachers can do to prevent it from escalating and becoming an issue in their facilities. Why are schools targeted by ransomware attackers? Insufficient Cyber Security Resources Many schools do not have a stable security infrastructure, nor do they have access to the resources necessary to maintain a robust cyber posture. With budgets increasingly stretched, education facilities must allocate funds to the most essential equipment to maintain the safety of students and teachers, from security gates and alarms to CCTV. Often, this leaves little to no room for enterprise-grade digital security measures like encryption software, cyber security training, and endpoint threat detection solutions. Unfortunately, this lack of practical and proactive cyber awareness makes schools easy targets, allowing ransomware operators the ability to infiltrate school systems with greater ease. Additionally, staff are less able to easily detect nefarious activity across their networks meaning that insider threats are less overt, and attackers can move laterally across an estate more easily. Failing to maintain a continuous learning environment Schools, colleges, and universities are heavily reliant on their IT systems to facilitate teaching, learning and administration, among other processes. Online learning platforms, virtual classrooms, student databases, faculty emails, admin and grading systems and more all rely on an interconnected school system. Furthermore, creating a seamless, uninterrupted educational experience for students requires a steady data flow between computers and other devices on a school network. Schools must meet the Department for Education’s Digital Accessibility Standards to ensure all digital resources, content, and services are accessible. However, this is made much more difficult if the underlying system is vulnerable. If they are unable to access the information and systems they need, this could disrupt the education experience. Ransomware operators recognise the dependency that students and teachers alike have on digital infrastructure and can block or encrypt access to critical systems until a ransom is paid, thus bringing education to a de facto standstill. Faced with prolonged disruption due to ransomware, many institutions may feel compelled to pay ransom demands. Holding valuable, sensitive data Schools and education facilities store a huge amount of personally identifiable information (PII) and data in cloud-based digital repositories. The nature of this data is highly sensitive, including names, addresses, contact details, medical and academic records, all of which can be leveraged against a school or individual for illegal or unethical blackmail tactics. Stolen data can also be used as bargaining chips for attackers who may threaten to publicly release or sell it on the dark web unless ransom demands are met. The potential consequences of such data breaches can be severe for schools as well as individuals whose information is compromised. Schools are also bound by General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which can impose fines if data is not upheld with integrity and a breach occurs. How to mitigate the damage from ransomware and other cybercrime While the evolving threat of ransomware is evidently serious, it is not impossible to overcome. It does mean that schools will have to make key and budget-conscious decisions on safeguarding data and information in light of the complex and changing cyber threat landscape. Basic threat prevention and data security measures include enforcing strong password policies for students and teachers, ensuring that all logins are unique and meet minimum criteria, and backing these measures up with multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible. Recent stats from Microsoft say that MFA reduces the risk of successful cyber attacks by blocking over 99.9% of account compromises. Systems and software must be regularly patched and updated to protect them from known vulnerabilities and weak spots, robust backups and recovery solutions must be deployed, and email security must be enhanced to minimise the potential for phishing and malware entry. Fundamentally, however, as all education providers know, the most important facet is understanding the what, the where, and the how. Fostering a culture of greater cyber awareness is pivotal in helping schools overcome almost any security issue including ransomware. Encourage open communication and clear reporting procedures, promote safe computing practices and adherence to clear
Schools could unlock £36million in electric vehicle infrastructure grants
A specialist EV solutions provider is encouraging schools, nurseries and colleges across the UK to make the most of Government grants available to them, that will support the plan and delivery of their chargepoint infrastructures, in a bid to help make educational institutions across the country greener. Expert renewable energy and EV solutions provider, The E-Merge Group, specialises in the planning, installation and maintenance of EV infrastructures, and the team is calling on educational institutions across the UK to boost chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors by leaning on the support of Government-based, education sector-specific grants. These include the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which was announced recently and could provide up to 75 percent of the cost to buy and install chargepoints. Likewise, the Government’s Plan for Drivers initiative incorporates grants for schools, cash for councils and new proposals to boost chargepoint numbers to improve the country’s EV infrastructure. With more drivers making the switch and fully electric vehicles accounting for more than 16 percent of the new UK car market*, the funding, combined with a certified installation partner, will help the UK reach its climate change commitments, while charting the fairest path to net zero. What’s more, over the next 12 months, the E-Merge Group team is committing to educating and upskilling pupils across the UK by holding and sponsoring talks in schools and colleges on the importance of renewable energy and the power of implementing sustainable solutions in everyday life. Charlotte Ward, Co-Founder of E-Merge Group, which works with businesses to roll out bespoke renewable solution packages, comments: “By helping to unlock Government funding and grants, we’re dedicated to supporting schools and local authorities across the UK to build a greener, more sustainable nation. “The funding is available for state-funded schools, colleges, nurseries and academies to boost the chargepoint facilities. To unlock a portion of the £36 million on offer, schools must work with their local authorities to access their indicative funding, following a three step process. “Organisations within the education sector are perfectly positioned to support the establishment of a nationwide charging network that’s accessible post-5pm and on weekends, thanks to the typical hours within which they operate, meaning schools, nurseries, colleges and the like can contribute significantly to helping the UK establish a more robust EV infrastructure. “The E-Merge Group team is dedicated to helping businesses unlock their renewable energy and EV potential, guiding them in making the most of Government support and providing the most technologically-advanced solutions to help make their sustainability objectives become a reality, all the while helping them enhance their bottom line.” More information about E-Merge Group and its services can be found at: emerge-renewables.com.
How to turn the page on lingering learning gaps
Schools have found creative ways to deliver catch up teaching says Louise Pink, former school leader and Customer Optimisation Manager at SIMS from ParentPay Group. The conversation in school corridors and staff rooms may have moved on from the experience of teaching through a global pandemic four years on. But in classrooms, the legacy remains. Some of the more recent data available comes from a survey of 500 school leaders, who were asked about the status of teaching and learning in their schools as part of the Generation Catch-Up Report. The result was almost universal agreement that pupils’ learning is yet to recover from the disruption of Covid. A staggering 96% felt that learning gaps were continuing to have an impact on pupil achievement – and nearly two thirds (61%) described the impact as major. One in 10 schools reported learning loss of between one and two years, which is why work continues in many schools to close the gaps. Who is most affected? Primary school leaders were most concerned about their Year 4s. These are the children who were in Year 3 at the time of the survey. In secondary schools, the picture was more mixed. Year 10s were highlighted as the year group most affected by learning gaps. These were the students in Year 9 at the time of the survey and preparing for GCSEs. Some of the issues raised by senior leaders include Year 7s starting school with low literacy levels. In older year groups, they raised the point that students were feeling unprepared for their exams. The ripples of Covid appear to have left no child untouched. However, there have been positive developments in recent years too. Despite being under intense pressure, school leaders and teachers have been taking action to close learning gaps and help children get back on track. Taking action on literacy Additional training and CPD opportunities provided to teachers help to ensure catch-up programmes for literacy, reading and writing get results. In St Thomas More Catholic Primary, the English lead was working towards the National Professional Qualification in Leading Literacy (NPQLL) when the report was published. There’s been a drive to incorporate reading and writing activities across subject areas too, which is helping children build literacy skills more quickly, as Donna Faley, headteacher, explains. “We have embedded writing across the curriculum which gives children opportunities to write at length in subjects like geography, history and RE. Producing longer, high quality writing has really helped with children’s writing stamina.” Beacon Academy had identified children who were three or four years behind on reading age. “We looked at our assessment data and identified the weakest pupils in history and geography and spotted they also had the lowest scores in reading tests,” says Peter Hall, the school’s assistant headteacher. “This enabled us to focus on those who needed the most support and monitor the interventions we put in place for them.” The school also employed reading intervention tutors to find out exactly where students’ stumbling blocks are on a one-to-one basis as each child had different difficulties. This has helped to address reading gaps. Supporting whole cohorts The size of pandemic related learning loss has called for a much broader approach in many schools. In primary schools, key skills have been identified that entire classes need help with. Adapting lesson plans to embed the development of these skills in day-to-day lessons has helped to tackle the shortfall at scale. Senior leaders in secondary schools reported students in the younger year groups had lost confidence working on their own. Many schools have therefore concentrated their efforts on providing more individual attention. “Teachers are adapting tasks into shorter chunks to help children learn more independently, and they are allocating more time in the lesson to explain new concepts,” says Ieuan Price, director of digital learning at St Illtyd’s Catholic High School. Freeing up time for teachers Finding time in the school day to deliver good quality catch-up provision has been a challenge for many schools. Encouraging attendance at after school catch-up clubs hasn’t always been easy, so online tuition sessions have offered an effective alternative to supplement in-school learning. Some secondary schools have made better use of the time available in the school day to offer focused catch-up in core subjects too, providing additional support to those students who need it. “Using tutor time for additional maths tuition has had a positive impact, and students really appreciate a teacher caring about them and taking time to focus on their progress,” adds Peter Hall from Beacon Academy. The ingenuity and resourcefulness showcased by schools throughout the pandemic to continue to deliver teaching and learning is still apparent today. And it will influence education for generations to come. READ MORE QA EDUCATION FEATURES
ADHD 360’s New Toolkit Reinvents Support for Neurodiversity in Schools
ADHD 360, in collaboration with leading educators and neurodiversity specialists, is excited to announce the launch of the ‘Neurodiversity in Schools Toolkit‘. Set to debut on May 1, 2024, this innovative educational resource is tailored to enhance the learning environment for neurodiverse students throughout the UK. Founded on the principle that “Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, especially those within often neglected neurodiverse groups”, this toolkit delivers practical strategies and insights. Drawing from the latest research and ADHD 360’s extensive experience with ADHD and autism, it provides teachers, teaching assistants, and school leaders with the essential tools and knowledge needed for the inclusive and comprehensive development of all learners. Donna Sharkey, who leads this initiative at ADHD 360, stresses the importance of addressing the unique challenges neurodiverse students face. She said: “Neurodiversity in the classroom is increasingly recognised but not always understood. Our toolkit offers a thorough approach to help educators unlock every student’s potential.” Phil Anderton, Managing Director at ADHD 360 [pictured] said: “This toolkit is more than just resources; it’s part of a broader movement towards inclusive education, ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed.” Ben Johnson, a Teacher from Horncastle, added: “This collaboration with ADHD 360 and our SEND team has been revolutionary. This toolkit will make participating schools a beacon for students with ADHD.” ADHD 360 encourages schools, educators, and parents across the UK to embrace this toolkit and join in their effort to profoundly impact the lives of neurodiverse students. For more details, or to get involved with the ‘Neurodiversity in Schools Toolkit’, please visit www.adhd-360.com/neurodiversity-for-schools ADHD 360 is an award-winning, largest single specialist ADHD Clinic based in Lincoln, providing private ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment throughout the UK. Rated EXCELLENT on TrustPilot, ADHD 360 have assessed and treated thousands of patients, changing lives for the better.
Eight ways to set an effective school budget
As the deadline for school budget submissions looms large, not-for-profit HFL Education (formerly Herts for Learning) is sharing its top tips on how school and academy leaders can create an effective budget that will help – not hinder – the delivery of a great education for every child while keeping finances out of the red. Writing budgets gets more challenging every year – gone are the days of replicating last year’s budget lines and simply adjusting them for inflation! Taking that approach now is a sure-fire way to make more work for yourself in the long run. Take the time to analyse the outcomes from the year-end accounts of the previous year – what did you overspend on, what wasn’t worth the investment, where could you make efficiencies? This will help you create a budget for the future which is going to work harder for your school. The number of students on roll is an important factor in the National Funding Formula and for planning provision, so it’s a key piece of information for realistic budget setting. To make sure your student number predictions are as accurate as they can be, check your figures against your local authority’s place planning data to see what numbers they are predicting for your area. Your budget should reflect your school’s strategic plans for growth and development, and the resources you are going to need to get you there. For example, if your objective for the next academic year is to improve reading outcomes for pupils, ensure you have budgeted for the additional books and teaching resources you’ll need to make that happen. Staffing should account for between 75% and 80% of your total revenue income. If your costs exceed this, you might need to consider how to structure both classrooms and the back-office to optimise outcomes and impact. Start by looking at how many teaching staff you need to deliver the curriculum and then allocate classroom support hours against a strategy designed to ensure the highest quality learning outcomes for every pupil. Budget deficits are like a rising tide, so it’s key to your financial sustainability that you take early action if you have too many teaching and/or support staff in your structure. Don’t delay and utilise any resignations as an opportunity to rethink structure and staff deployment. SEND is one area where it is very easy for schools to go overbudget so provision mapping your SEND support is a useful tool to ensure you set an accurate budget. Review how much it is costing to provide SEND support for pupils vs the additional funding you receive and ensure these two amounts are in balance. Don’t forget to include the £6,000 notional SEND budget per pupil. If you are struggling to make the numbers align, consider how you could deliver support in a different way and in line with the funding received – for example, moving from 1-2-1 support for children with SEND to a team teaching approach for a group of students. A large percentage of your Pupil Premium expenditure will invariably be sat within your staffing expenditure already. Ensure that you have calculated your Pupil Premium staffing costs before adding additional non-staffing expenditure, such as subscriptions, therapies, trips and activities etc, so that you are clear on the resource envelope available to you. If you want to check that your budget is on the money, so to speak, the Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning (ICFP) tools on the Department for Education website are really helpful. You can check where your proposed budgets sit in comparison to national thresholds, and it has a calculator to help you work out the teaching resources needed to run the classes in your school. If you can’t make the figures fit in your budget, you will have to make some tough choices about your expenditure – and sooner rather than later. The longer the books don’t quite balance, the larger the deficit position the school will find itself in. This will have a cumulative impact on education outcomes, staff morale, your mental health and much more. We always suggest school leaders open a dialogue with staff and be honest with them about any financial challenges the school is facing. READ MORE: Ofsted in the spotlight – how much of a school’s rating is decided before an inspector even sets foot through the door? Jackie Keegan, Resource Advisor at HFL Education who wrote the top tips for effective budgets, has been supporting schools with their finances for over 20 years. Jackie said: “Schools are under a tremendous amount of pressure to deliver high educational outcomes with budgets that are decreasing in real terms. The latest figures suggest around 9% of schools are now in deficit and we know from the schools we work with that can be a difficult spot to climb out of. So while setting budgets is difficult and it can involve making unpopular decisions or saying no to things you really want for your students and staff, it’s necessary to be prudent and to explore all your financial options to ensure your school remains sustainable for years to come.” HFL Education’s team of trusted advisors offers a wealth of training and support for schools and academies, from budgeting, financial planning and recovery advice to compliance and internal audits. 100% of the team’s financial professionals and business managers were previously employed within the senior leadership team of a school or trust before joining HFL Education, so they provide considered advice and tools which focus on educational outcomes as well as financial ones. Need help with your budget? You can find more information about the HFL Education’s Financial Services offer on the website – www.hfleducation.org
The Schools & Academies Show 2024: Plan. Procure. Prosper.
The Schools & Academies Show 2024 provides the education community with a one-stop shop of everything they need to further strengthen their strategic business and school improvement plans for a lasting impact. Join thousands of educators on 1st May 2024 at ExCeL London, for over 30 hours of CPD accredited content and access to 150+ education suppliers offering incredible solutions. Every year, 3000 visitors from Schools, Academies, MATs, Local Authorities, Central Government and the wider education sector, who are all looking to strategic business and school improvement plans for improved staff and pupil outcomes. New for 2024, we have introduced three co-located events (EdTech Innovate, The SEND Conference & The School Estates Summit), providing you access to endless opportunities to network with your peers and build relationships with top education suppliers all under one roof. You can also look forward to policy updates, valuable resources, practical support and high-quality sessions in our CPD accredited theatres, focused on a variety of trending topics, from EdTech to Business & Finance, providing you with the ultimate toolkit to support your role & organisation. We have invited a stellar line-up of industry-leading speakers to share their invaluable experience, sector updates, best practice insights and inspirations, ensuring visitors leave feeling empowered with new processes, strategies and solutions to navigate their current challenges, drive school improvements and ultimately provide better outcomes for their pupils. This must-attend event is designed to empower you with new processes, innovative technologies and practical solutions. Gain key insights in driving efficiency, making cost savings, and enhancing your school performance to improve the outcomes of all pupils. Don’t miss out on what is gearing up to be another unmissable show and register for free today. View the full show agenda here: www.schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk/agenda Register for FREE today here.
How to use BBC Micro:bit in your lessons
Chris Lovell has worked in computing education for five years and is on a mission to encourage more primary teachers to try out the BBC micro:bit to help them build their confidence. For those of you that haven’t yet discovered its power, a micro:bit is a tiny, pocket-sized computer that you can program and physically interact with. I have found it’s a great tool to engage and excite children as young as eight with creative coding. I support primary teachers in my local community to use the micro:bit in their classroom and often teachers share with me that they are daunted by coding. They feel that they don’t have much time to learn something new. They fear that pupils will know more than them. What’s more, the equipment used in their school can sometimes be unreliable. I have found that by taking the following simple steps, anyone can feel confident with using the micro:bit in their classroom to engage learners. Explore all available resources The Micro:bit Educational Foundation provides a variety of free resources to support teachers. If you’re a primary school, a great introduction to the micro:bit would be its playground survey. As part of BBC micro:bit – the next gen, a campaign with BBC Children’s and Education, children can take part in a unique data science project to investigate and gather information about their playground. And you will be able to submit findings from your class to the Office for National Statistics for analysis by the end of the summer term. Tap into a child’s excitement In my experience, on every occasion that a class of children have used a set of micro:bits, their excitement is palpable. I believe as educators, when children are excited to explore and to create, it gives us a great motivation to support and encourage them. Encourage children to support each other through pair programming In pair programming, children assume the roles of a navigator and a driver, which they swap every 10 minutes. The navigator describes what to code, whilst the driver adds and runs the code. The tasks can be scaffolded, and the pairs chosen appropriate to ability in your classroom. In my classroom, I sometimes make these projects competitive, and add names to the whiteboard when pupils complete tasks. With some classes, this element of competition can support learning and exploration. You may also find some technology assistants among your class to support your teaching of the micro:bit. Go cross-curricular The micro:bit enables computing to be taken out into the playground. Children can log the number of species of animals and plants they find. It can even be turned into a wearable activity tracker, enabling children to understand the different types of activity conducted. This will prompt a class discussion about the accuracy of the data they have gathered. Connect with a thriving community Remember, you are not alone. Computing At School (CAS) has local support available for primary schools. Contact your local CAS group for help from fellow teachers, CPD events and visits, or even the loan of a set of micro:bits free of charge. The web is also a great place to find advice and ideas in the classroom. Search social media for the hashtag #BBCmicrobit to share what you are doing and connect with others. The micro:bit is truly full of possibilities! By Chris Lovell is Head of Computing at Ashfold School For more information about the BBC micro:bit playground survey, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/teach/microbit