NCFE and WorldSkills UK launch third phase of applications for Centre of Excellence
A technical training firm has opened applications for its Centre of Excellence training programme. NCFE, in partnership with WorldSkills UK, is seeking people for the third year of its scheme training technical educators. With the second year of the programme currently underway, the scheme is already showing positive results from its first-year participants. An online survey of learners revealed that a significant majority (86%) said that they would be able to apply the skills they had learnt to their education and work. Notably, 80% of respondents also stated that these skills would also be applicable to other parts of their life. In terms of the sessions undertaken, 91% of respondents rated these as excellent or good. Meanwhile, 97% of practitioners who have been taking part in the Centre of Excellence’s cascading Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme said the quality of the session they took part in was excellent or good. Correspondingly, 77% said the CPD session they took part in was extremely relevant or very relevant to the courses that they teach, while 74% said it had had a major or substantial positive impact in their motivation to make changes to improve their teaching and training practice. The Centre of Excellence is a revolutionary training programme for technical education educators that will advance the sector and benefit learners. NCFE has partnered with WorldSkills UK to create this programme to drive change within colleges and training providers. WorldSkills UK is employing its expertise of global advancements in skills, while NCFE brings its knowledge of technical education to help educators fulfil their potential. The overarching aim of the programme is to inspire more learners of all backgrounds to pursue technical and vocational education as a highly effective route to success. The three-year pilot began in September 2020, but eventually the programme will be available to hundreds of colleges and training providers nationwide. Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “As the international arm of the UK skills systems, WorldSkills UK is uniquely placed to use our knowledge of world-class standards and global best practice to support the development of high quality skills employers need now and in the future. “The hugely popular Centre of Excellence supercharges the quality and delivery of technical and vocational education by transferring international expertise and knowledge to support the professional development of educators and is key to helping create a world-class skills economy across the UK.” David Gallagher, CEO at NCFE said: “We know that we can’t have world class education without world class educators and that’s why we’re so committed to investing our resources in this initiative, which is driving forward positive change and unlocking excellence for everyone. “Based on deep insight and learner need, the Centre of Excellence supports UK-wide delivery of best practice in the technical and vocational space. In doing so, we’re creating a cohort of learners who will be well-equipped to facilitate a skills-based levelling up of the UK economy. “We look forward to seeing the full results of the initial pilot, but also to seeing the longer-term impact on the education sector as a whole. We’d like to encourage other organisations to collaborate with us on this, so please do get in touch if you’re interested in hearing more.” Web: https://www.ncfe.org.uk
Barnardo’s launch educational resources to help schools tackle sexual harassment and abuse
Barnardo’s says much more needs to be done to protect children from sexual abuse, exploitation, and extremism, so is launching a new version of its educational programme, Real Love Rocks. It comes after the results from an Ofsted rapid review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. The investigation took place after the Everyone’s Invited website revealed testimonials which showed how prevalent sexual abuse has been in schools over the years. Ofsted found that almost four-fifths (79%) of girls surveyed had been sexually assaulted. Eighty-one per cent had been the subject of rumours about sexual activity and 80% had faced inappropriate or unwanted sexual comments. And a report from the Internet Watch Foundation showed that last year was the highest year on record for online child sexual abuse. (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/13/2021-was-worst-year-on-record-for-online-child-sex-abuse-says-iwf) Barnardo’s originally launched Real Love Rocks in 2014 and has updated and refreshed the resources to reflect and raise awareness of different types of abuse and exploitation that children and young people may experience. These include child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, radicalisation and extremism. This edition also emphasises the importance of emotional regulation and creating a support network of safe and trusted people. There are also sections about developing kindness, understanding and empathy for both themselves and others. The age-appropriate resources have been designed to help teachers and other professionals talk to children and young people about difficult issues such as consent, grooming, technology, bullying, pornography, sexual harassment and appropriate and inappropriate relationships. They have been produced with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance about Relationships Education in primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education in secondary schools in mind. And they have been designed in collaboration with young people who have bravely shared their experiences. Barnardo’s Chief Executive Lynn Perry said: “All children and young people need access to high quality, age-appropriate information and advice about issues like consent, healthy relationships and the risk of harm on and offline. “Our new resources are designed to help children understand their emotions, empathise with others, and develop the support networks we know are vital. “We hope Real Love Rocks will help teachers to tackle difficult topics in the classroom, including sexual abuse and criminal exploitation.” Both the primary and secondary education packs and the website have been designed to engage children and young people in a fun and empowering way through animations, activities, and games. The primary school edition of the resources has been designed for use with 10 and 11-year-olds with topics including feelings, brains and bodies, relationship, grooming, exploitation and abuse, and online safety. Topics covered in the secondary school edition are feelings, brains and bodies, relationships and consent, grooming and exploitation, and technology and relationships. All the issues are tackled in a trauma-informed and age-appropriate way, for example activities around consent for secondary school children start with a discussion about someone’s phone being taken without their consent. Other activities include understanding what sexual harassment is, where children explore dilemmas, identify and challenge behaviours and learn about who can help if it is happening. Activities for primary school children include talking through different scenarios like not being invited to play with friends or being dared to do challenges that are not okay and discussing how these things would make them feel. And the online safety section encourages children to explore what they watch online and how this makes them feel. It also includes activities around misinformation, scams and inappropriate content to help children navigate the multiple harms they face in our ever-changing modern world. The resources and website (https://barnardosrealloverocks.org.uk/) include everything teachers, school counsellors, youth workers and other professionals will need to run the programme for children and young people.
Concern over pupil absence surge amid teacher shortage pressures
Pupil absence is surging just a month after figures appeared to be at their best since the pandemic began. The number of children off school with coronavirus related attendance restrictions has more than doubled in a fortnight. The worsening picture comes just a month on from attendance being at its highest since May 2021. The DfE has recently updated its school attendance guidance, meaning schools will no longer have to distinguish between Covid-related absence when recording attendance Figures suggest the overall increase is related to pupils having to isolate despite not testing positive with secondary school absences due to “exceptional circumstances” tripling from 11,900 on 17 March to 30,100 on 31 March. Partial school closures due to teacher shortages is also thought to be an issue. Department for Education data reveals a slight fall in overall attendance between 17-31 March, despite fewer pupils being recorded as absent for Covid-related reasons. Covid-related pupil absence officially fell from 202,000 (2.5 per cent) on 17 March to 178,800 (2.2 per cent) on 31 March. The DfE acknowledged the figures for pupils isolating and with confirmed cases of Covid “may be impacted by levels of testing”. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the union was continuing to hear a “sense of deep frustration from school leaders as they struggle to deal with the significant and ongoing disruption caused by Covid”. “We all assumed ‘living with Covid’ meant there would be very low case levels – this is clearly not the case and absence rates remain at concerningly high levels.” Mr Whiteman added that school leaders felt they have been “abandoned”. “The ongoing risk of illness and chaos caused by staff absence, not to mention the mounting pressure of exams, Sats and Ofsted, is unsustainable. Our members, and education, are at breaking point.” Simon Carter, Director at EdTech firm RM, commented: “A careful analysis of the latest figures from the Department for Education suggests that the number of pupils absent from school last week has risen to well over a million – a 100,000 increase in the last fortnight – which may generate some tough soul-searching amongst many educators. “Despite Government COVID-19 restrictions lifting and the UK economy stabilising, it’s concerning to see that the number of school children missing classes remains at record levels. And the school workforce is taking a similar hit, with over 100,000 teachers and teaching assistants unable to attend their schools last week. “But that introspection is, at least on this occasion, something that many of us can take in our stride – while this news might once have been enough to bring schools and colleges to their knees, the digital transformation of education institutions across the UK that happened over lockdown has evolved into a newfound resilience that protects learning outcomes whatever the circumstances. “Thanks to an effectively developed hybrid learning structure in schools, educators are better positioned than ever before to continue the education of children – even if they are stuck indoors. To do so in a way that works for parents and students alike, schools simply need to ensure their staff are able to make the best use of the technology that most schools have already invested in to continue to teach and engage with students – whether they are in class or working remotely. “After two years of being upended by the COVID-19 crisis, now is the time for education institutions to batten down the hatches and reap the rewards of the hard work done to digitally transform teaching materials in 2020 and 2021. For schools that are as keen now to upskill their staff and students in all things digital as they were over lockdown, education will undoubtedly remain a constant for young people – whatever is thrown their way.”
The Big Bang Competition entry deadline has been extended
The deadline for entries to The Big Bang Competition has been extended to Monday 4 April (5pm). This extension will allow for more projects to be entered into the Competition while providing more time for competitors to make the final touches on their project. Inquisitive young people with an idea to invent something to transform people’s lives or use scientific research to find solutions could win the prestigious title of UK Young Scientist or UK Young Engineer of the Year. The winners of The Big Bang Competition will be announced at The Big Bang Fair, taking place for the first time since the global pandemic disrupted normal life, from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 June 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham. Bethan Padbury, Event Executive at EngineeringUK and a previous winner of The Big Bang Competition, said: “The Big Bang Competition helped me find my confidence in ways that I didn’t get from school. I felt like I could succeed in bringing my ideas to life and making something that before only existed in my head. I found out I could stand in a room of industry professionals and explain my work to them. The Competition made me feel strong and capable and I could see myself with a role in STEM in the future.” Projects can be on any topic in the field of STEM, from health to the environment and from computing to design and technology. They can be conducted using simple everyday items or carried out in a scientific laboratory, in school or at home, it’s all about the idea and the enthusiasm behind it. Curious students have produced projects to investigate better management of health conditions like diabetes or obsessive-compulsive disorder or how STEM can improve the world around them such as biodegradable plastics. Others have created prototypes of 3D printers, life-saving jackets and apps. Last year’s winner Kaede Sugano (GSK UK Young Engineer of the Year) from Rugby developed a website that compares package holidays using a novel algorithm that she created. Kell Johnston (GSK UK Young Scientist of the Year) from Hexham, Northumberland won for a project that aimed to determine whether ‘willow water’ extract could be used to promote root growth for a range of different plant cuttings. Previous winners of The Competition have gone on to enjoy a range of achievements on the back of their successes – including, getting backing from businesses for their projects, setting up their own businesses, taking part in conference presentations to industry professionals as well as appearing on the television and radio shows to talk about their projects. The Competition is open for entries until 4 April – students and teachers should find out more and enter here https://www.thebigbang.org.uk/the-big-bang-competition . Entry guidance can be found on the Big Bang website, and students can discover top tips here https://www.thebigbang.org.uk/the-big-bang-competition/sign-up-for-competition-top-tips/
Concern over the rise of TikTots – young children accessing social media
The UK’s media regulator Ofcom has raised concerns about the levels of very young children accessing social media. New Ofcom research has revealed large percentages of parents are allowing youngsters to use TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Themes emerging from the research include: Multi-screening TikTots. Despite being under the minimum age requirement (13 for most social media sites), 33% of parents of 5-7s and twice as many 8-11s (60%) said they have a social media profile. Older children are most likely to have a profile on Instagram (55% of 12-15s), while younger children aged 8-11 were more likely to have profiles on TikTok (34%) and YouTube (27%). TikTok in particular is growing in popularity, even among the youngest age groups; 16% of 3-4 year-olds and 29% of 5-7s use the platform. And the popularity of short-form content could be linked to multi-screening, with more children reporting difficulties in focusing on a single online activity. Children reported being unable to watch films, or other long-form content, without being on multiple devices at the same time. In fact, only 4% of children aged 3-17 say they never do anything else while watching TV. Concealing life online. Many children could be tactically using other accounts or ‘finstas’ – fake Instagrams – to conceal aspects of their online lives from parents. Two-thirds of 8-11-year-olds had multiple accounts or profiles (64%). Among these, almost half (46%) have an account just for their family to see. A fifth of 16-17 years-olds (20%) choose to have separate profiles dedicated to a hobby such as skateboarding, gaming or photography. More than a third of children (35%) reported engaging in potentially risky behaviours, which could hinder a parent or guardian keeping proper checks on their online use. A fifth surfed in incognito mode (21%), or deleted their browsing history (19%), and one in 20 circumvented parental controls put in place to stop them visiting certain apps and sites (6%). Scrolling over sharing. Children are seeing less video content from friends online, and more from brands, celebrities and influencers. Feeds full of slick professionalised content seem to be encouraging a trend towards scrolling instead of sharing, with both adults (88%) and children (91%) three times as likely to watch videos online, than to post their own videos (30% and 31% respectively). Campaigning, wellbeing and social Samaritans. Children feel positive about the benefits of being online, and many use social media as a force for good. Over half (53%) of 13–17-year-olds feel that being online is good for their mental health, compared with 17% who disagreed. Nearly a quarter of teenagers follow the profiles of activists or campaigners (23%), one in five writes posts in support of causes (21%), while more than one in 10 follow political parties or campaign groups (12%). Eight in ten 13-17 year-olds are using online services to support their personal wellbeing. A quarter said they have learnt about healthy eating online, or have found help with ‘growing-up issues’ like relationships and puberty. A fifth used the internet to follow fitness programmes and health trackers, or to get help when feeling sad, anxious, or worried. Similarly, about one in 10 went online to help with sleep issues, to meditate, or to help them feel energised, with Calm (34%) and Headspace for Kids (29%) the most popular apps used. Young digital natives, who have never known life without the internet, are also sharing their technical skills and supporting others. Most young adult internet users aged 16-24 had helped others to do things online (86%), with half of those (46%) offering assistance weekly. Anisa Morridadi, Founder and CEO of Beatfreeks, who has been training teachers to help children and young people better cope with the digital world they live in, said: “Over the last two years, largely owing to the effects of the pandemic, we’ve seen changes to the concerns, fears and consumption of online content among children and young people. It’s vital we take note, educate and make changes to ensure our young people are able to exist confidently and safely in the online world in which they regularly inhabit. “For the past two years, we have successfully delivered the Be Internet Citizens programme to hundreds of teachers who will reach hundreds of thousands of young people across the country. We have provided teachers with the training and support needed to empower their young people to be safe and have positive voices online. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep each other safe online. This is particularly the case in schools. Research shows that if parents want advice about online safety, their children’s school is usually the first port of call. That means that it is absolutely essential that teachers and other school staff are aware of any developments and trends in online usage and what measures can be taken to restrict access to inappropriate content and help keep children safe.” The Ofcom research also found that more than a third of internet users were unaware that online content might be false or biased. Every minute sees 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube, 5,000 videos viewed on TikTok and 695,000 stories shared on Instagram. Given the sheer volume of information at the touch of our smartphones, having the right critical skills and understanding to decipher fact from fiction has never been more important. But Ofcom’s study reveals that 30% of UK adults who go online (14.5 million) are unsure about, or don’t even consider, the truthfulness of online information. A further 6% – around one in every twenty internet users – believe everything they see online. Misinformation can spread quickly on social media platforms. More than four in ten adults say they have seen a story on social media that looked deliberately untrue or misleading in the last year. To interrogate this trend, participants were shown social media posts and profiles to determine whether they could verify their authenticity. This reveals that users’ confidence in their ability to spot fake content belies their true critical capabilities. Although seven in
New report shines light on school governing boards’ lack of diversity
A new report from GovernorHub has exposed the lack of diversity on school governing boards in England, revealing the majority of school governors and trustees to be white, older, and educated to at least graduate degree level. These findings demonstrate the limited representation pupils have on their schools governing boards, in the midst of calls for schools to do more to protect and safeguard Black pupils, following widespread public outrage at the treatment of Child Q. The report, which surveyed 4,006 serving school governors and trustees and polled 1,901 members of the public, showed 90% of school governors and trustees describe themselves as white, with only 8% combined identifying as a different ethnic group. A disproportionately high 79% of governors are educated to at least graduate degree level, with over a third (36%) having been educated to post-graduate, doctorate, or equivalent level. Meanwhile more than half of governors who responded to the survey said they were aged 55 or over, and nearly a third were 65 or over. Despite the clear need for greater representation on school boards, the report also showed that there is little public understanding of the critical importance of governing bodies within schools, which could play a part in the lack of diversity. The report found that younger people and those from diverse backgrounds are in fact more likely to be interested in the role of school governor – they just need more information on it. Most respondents to the public poll did not recognise that governors and/or trustees are responsible for monitoring a school’s strategic direction, educational performance or financial performance (the three core functions of governance), and where they did, it was rare for their answers to indicate a consistent understanding across all three functions. Similarly, when asked about a perhaps more typically relatable topic, school food, only a small proportion of the public recognised that it’s the role of governors to monitor that school dinners meet the school food standards. This lack of awareness is felt by governors and trustees too, with 82% saying the public does not understand their role, and more than a third saying they had never seen an article in the mainstream press about governance. In light of the report’s discoveries, GovernorHub has outlined a number of recommendations to help tackle some of the challenges governing boards face. This includes asking the media to ensure that governance is fully and properly represented in stories relating to education and schools and requiring the government to make sure that there is more of a focus on the input of governors and trustees. The report also calls for schools, trusts and their boards to do more to find younger and more diverse candidates and consider conscious recruitment and reaching out to organisations like the National Black Governors Network to help them do so. Neil Collins, Director of GovernorHub at The Key Support “These findings paint a full and revealing view of governing boards across England, confirming an urgent need for action to ensure boards are more representative of society as a whole. “We need boards that accurately and effectively understand the issues facing young people from all walks of life. Schools need to be looking into how to recruit those people, to ensure that pupils have the representation they deserve on school boards. “GovernorHub is pledging to help broaden the talent pool by collecting, publishing and tracking data on board diversity through a new, publicly available tool. Our hope is that, in monitoring and reporting this data, we can work with the sector to make sure that every single person in the country who has the skills and passion to make a difference to the future of young people, is given the chance to get involved.”
Pupils who’ve never met win competition to put experiment in space
Slime – the gooey and beloved children’s plaything – will be used by astronauts to help clean the International Space Station thanks to an experiment designed by two teenage classmates who have never met in person. The unusual solution to the problem of keeping the ISS clean is the brainchild of Oleg Shkarovskyy and Noah Deisges, who will fly to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch their design being built and fine-tuned, before witnessing the launch of the rocket that will take it into space. The pair’s idea involves using antibacterial slime to replace wet wipes as an easier and more environmentally friendly way of keeping the delicate equipment on the ISS free from potentially harmful dust and dirt. Oleg and Noah are pupils at Minera’s Virtual Academy, a unique online independent school for children aged 12 to 18. They undertook their experiment as part of the school’s World Changers Programme – a cross-curricular and extra-curricular programme that partners students with select institutions to enrich their studies through applications in the real-world. It was entered into, and won, the International Space School Educational Trust’s (ISSET) Launch Prize. Because of the virtual nature of their studies Oleg, from Ukraine, and Noah, from Luxembourg have never met each other in person and will meet for the first time when they fly to Florida next year to watch the final touches being put to their experiment. The challenge set by ISSET was to come up with an experiment ‘to better life for mankind, on or off the planet’. Noah, 17, said: “I feel really, really proud that of all the entries, ours is the one that won. It’s like winning the euromillions! I was doing schoolwork and suddenly my phone rang. I saw it was Oleg and he said to me: ‘Noah, Noah, did you check your email yet – we won! We won!” Oleg, 15, said: “When I received the email, I thought it was a letter to make us feel better after we hadn’t won, so I closed it. Then I opened it again and saw the subtitle, which said: ‘You’re the winners!’ Then I started reading the email – each line was even harder and harder to read. I just wanted to call everyone on earth. But Noah was the first person I called.” “It’s unbelievable how much Nasa has advanced and the opportunities they are offering to the younger generations. Still, each time I think about the fact that our experiment will go into space, I get a buzz of joy and amazement in my head.” Oleg said he thought the judges had selected their experiment because of its “simplicity and utility”. “We analysed the issues in space, adapted to the conditions and found a simple solution,” he said. “That is the key in persuading the judges, nothing overcomplicated.” Describing the experiment, Noah said: “The abnormal behaviour of water in microgravity makes cleaning tiring and time-consuming with no guarantee of complete sanitisation. Crumbs from food, hairs and dead skin cells are also a problem in microgravity as they can contaminate every surface and even cause issues with electricals or get into astronauts eyes. “Astronauts currently tend to use disposable wipes, liquid detergent and disposable plastic gloves, but these are neither environmentally friendly nor particularly practical, as space on the ISS is at a premium. “This got us thinking of ways to clean surfaces using materials that can be reused. We came up with the idea of using a slime mixture with antibacterial properties. It’s possible to make this mixture using household items, but it hasn’t yet been tested in a microgravity environment. “We believe this could be a much better cleaning solution as it would stick to the ‘dirt’ and remove it from surfaces efficiently whilst also sanitising that surface. The slime would also be reusable when wiped clean and so would be a suitable solution to use for long periods. It would be particularly effective at cleaning more delicate areas like keyboards or buttons with lots of grooves that might be time consuming to properly clean with a wipe alone.” The student’s prize-winning experiment will now be tested to see whether it can save space in Space as well as conserving our environment back down here on Earth. The eight-week World Changers Programme saw Noah and Oleg develop their idea with input from Jack Child – Minerva Virtual Academy’s Deputy Head and Head of Chemistry – as well as from a team of Astronauts and Space Scientists at ISSET. “ISSET were terrific at treating the students like real scientists,” said Jack. “They met with every group that submitted, explaining to them the pros and cons and helping them to think outside the box.” Jack, who is also the two pupils’ mentor at Minerva’s Virtual Academy, was thrilled and very proud of their win. “These two worked exceptionally hard, giving up time across the summer holidays to keep working on their experiment. I’m so glad their hard work has been rewarded,” he said. “I mean, it is actual rocket science! “Normally I get questions from students that I’m comfortable answering, but these guys were working at such a level that encouraged me to do my own research, lessening the gap between teacher and student. ‘I’m proud of the school, the kind of development and opportunities we can offer, and the calibre of students that are choosing to enrol, but most of all, I’m proud of Oleg and Noah’s excitement and enthusiasm. “ISSET works so well with World Changers. It’s an incredible prize and an incredible feat to have won it. Who knows where Oleg and Noah will go next.” Oleg said: “Jack was inspiring us – motivating us and always there to keep us going. Sometimes I’d forget he was our supervisor – he was so eager for Noah and I to carry on and do it. “This experiment brought all of us closer. I feel like I’ve known Noah and Jack for ages, even though
New report on pupil learning loss from the pandemic published by the Department for Education
New research from Education Policy Institute (EPI) and Renaissance for the Depart for Education has found that learning losses for primary pupils in the 2021/2022 autumn term had shown signs of recovery since the 2020/2021 summer term. But for pupils in secondary schools, in reading, there have been further losses amongst pupils since the summer. Learning losses for disadvantaged pupils remain greater than their non-disadvantaged peers. Between the summer and autumn terms, the gap in progress between disadvantaged pupils and their peers widened in primary and secondary reading, but narrowed in primary maths. Large regional disparities in learning losses persist, with pupils in parts of the north of England and the Midlands seeing greater losses than those living in other regions. Key findings from the new DfE research Pupil learning loss at a national level On average, pupils remain behind in reading and mathematics, compared with pre-pandemic progress. For secondary school pupils in reading, average learning losses increased between the summer and autumn terms.[1] · Primary reading: At a national level, by the end of the first half of the 2021/2022 autumn term, primary school pupils were on average 0.8 months behind in reading, compared to where they would be in a typical, pre-pandemic year. This level of learning loss was largely unchanged since the end of the 2020/21 summer term. · Primary maths: Primary school pupils were on average 1.9 months behind in maths by the end of the first half of autumn term. Pupils had recovered by 0.4 months since the end of the summer term. · Secondary reading: Secondary school pupils were on average 2.4 months behind in reading by of the end of the first half of the autumn term. Learning losses had increased by 0.5 months since the end of the summer term. Learning loss for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds (those eligible for free school meals at some point over the last 6 years) have on average experienced greater learning losses than their non-disadvantaged peers. · Disadvantaged primary reading: At a national level, in the 2021/2022 autumn term, disadvantaged pupils in primary school were on average 1.4 months behind in their reading, compared to 0.5 months for non-disadvantaged pupils – a gap of 0.9 months. This difference in lost learning between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has widened since the summer term. · Disadvantaged primary maths: Disadvantaged primary school pupils were on average 2.2 months behind in maths in the autumn term, compared to 1.8 months for non-disadvantaged pupils – a gap of 0.4 months. This difference in lost learning between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has reduced since the summer term. · Disadvantaged secondary reading: Disadvantaged secondary school pupils were on average 3.5 months behind in reading in the autumn term, compared to 2.0 months for non-disadvantaged pupils – a substantial gap of 1.5 months. This difference in lost learning between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has also widened since the summer term. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is in addition to the existing gap in school attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, that was evident prior to the pandemic. Pupil learning loss at a regional level Substantial disparities in learning losses are apparent at a regional level, with pupils in certain areas experiencing larger losses than in other parts of the country. The rates of recovery between the end of the last school year and beginning of the current year also vary considerably. In the autumn term (2021/2022), average regional learning losses in reading for pupils in primary school were[2]: · East Midlands: -1.0 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · East of England: -0.5 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · London: -0.3 months (losses remain broadly the same) · North East: -1.3 months (further loss of 0.4 months) · North West: -1.2 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · South East: -0.7 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · South West: -0.3 months (recovery of 0.3 months) · West Midlands: -0.9 months (recovery of 0.4 months) · Yorkshire and the Humber: -1.1 months (further loss of 0.4 months) In the autumn term (2021/2022), average regional learning losses in reading for pupils in secondary school were: · East Midlands: -2.6 months (further loss of 0.6 months since the summer term) · East of England: -2.2 months (further loss of 0.5 months) · London: -1.8 months (further loss of 1.1 months) · North East: -3.1 months (further loss of 0.8 months · North West: -3.2 months (further loss of 1.1 months) · South East: -2.2 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) · South West: -2.2 months (further loss of 0.4 months) · West Midlands: -2.4 months (further loss of 0.7 months) · Yorkshire and the Humber: -3.0 months (losses remain broadly the same as the summer term) Commenting on the new research, Jon Andrews, report author and Head of Analysis at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said: “This research shows a mixed picture in relation to learning losses during the pandemic and the extent of pupil catch up. “Our latest data shows a reduction in the extent of lost learning in primary maths since the summer. However, what is particularly concerning is the performance of secondary-aged pupils. Far from showing signs of recovery, they appear to be showing a greater degree of learning loss than they did at the end of the last school year. Disadvantaged children in secondary schools also appear to be falling further behind their non-disadvantaged peers in their reading. “This research is helping us to identify where the learning losses are still large, by phase, subject, student characteristic and region. This should help policymakers to target extra support where it is most needed.” John Moore, Managing Director UK/Australia at Renaissance, added: “It’s vital we continue to track the impact of the disruption caused by COVID-19 on pupils’ learning, particularly when that tracking
Digital exclusion in classrooms fuelled by lack of access to devices and connectivity
Southampton University has launched a report, commissioned by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., analysing how digital exclusion is being fuelled in classrooms by a lack of access to devices and connectivity. By surveying teachers, lecturers, students, IT support staff and educational sector regulators in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, the research measures the impact that a lack of devices and connectivity is having today – as well as the effect an ongoing shortage will have on the connected classroom and education in Europe. Educators and students across Europe are acutely aware of the challenges and disruption caused by Covid-19. As parts of Europe start to emerge from the worst effects of the pandemic, 2022 will be a critical year as the Education sector seeks to return to something approaching normality. The pandemic has changed many elements of teaching and learning, making 2022 a critical inflection point as the Education sector analyses learnings from the pandemic and asks how it can best equip itself to deliver on the promise of the future of the classroom. A key question will be how to close the digital divide which became even more apparent during the pandemic, with some students effectively locked out of certain education methods due to a lack of suitable devices or connectivity – and sometimes both. Based on responses from 2,571 European respondents, the study demonstrates there are few boundaries to the digital divide. Across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, over one third (36%) of respondents described the effect of the digital divide as “high or very high”. An additional 39% described the impact of the digital divide as “medium” with only 25% describing it as “low” or “very low.” Disadvantaged areas are experiencing the same digital divide barriers as pre-Covid conditions The research unravels how respondents in educational settings perceive hybrid learning environments and compares access to on-campus and in-classroom connectivity vs home Wi-Fi, showing that plenty of students across Europe have been grappling with accessibility to technology which impedes access to learning and educational opportunity. In 2020 the World Economic Forum (WEF) revealed that more than one billion childrenacross the globe are currently locked out of classrooms because of quarantine measures. Regardless of the fact that countless schools are running daily online classes – many of these children simply cannot take part. The uniquely challenging conditions of the past two years have only exacerbated the issue, creating serious obstacles for students and educators. A lack of connectivity and access to devices left many low-income families across the world at a disadvantage during the previous 20 months – with “hybrid” teaching and learning taking place in the classroom and virtually based on the rate of infection at the time. However, we know that innovation and technologies like 5G, combined with support from governments and the technology industry in terms of up levelling agendas, government initiatives and discounted plans and devices, can play a critical role in closing the digital divide. For a significant number of families, this digital divide will remain a reality long after the pandemic, so it’s vital that organisations work to ensure the availability of 5G, devices and programmes well into the future. Hybrid learning environments will remain the new normal for Education As we navigate through the next phase of the pandemic, variants with high transmission rates are causing staff shortages and student sickness is plunging education institutions back into hybrid learning environments. According to the research, a significant number of respondents (80%) indicate that hybrid learning will remain an important element of instruction practices going forward. Given the wide pool of respondents across multiple educational settings, this hyper-relevant sample of respondents in the heart of the Education sector, confirms that hybrid learning is long term, everywhere, and the Education and Technology sectors must work together to overcome this global challenge. Internet connectivity on-site vs at home When examining the strength of internet connectivity in higher education and University settings, in terms of very poor and poor Wi-Fi quality, the findings demonstrate that students with access to high-speed internet connectivity at home often experience worse Wi-Fi quality while in class/on campus. At home, where many students have found themselves throughout long periods of the pandemic, a total of 15% of students reported having only poor (3.9%) or fair (11.1%) Wi-Fi. Poor or fair Wi-Fi is likely to cause issues for online education either in terms of availability or speed of connection – or both, which may prevent students from taking part in teaching sessions conducted over video calls. The quality of home and school Wi-Fi networks may be influenced by the pressure on school Wi-Fi due to the sheer volume of students all trying to connect to the same connection, compared to home Wi-Fi where the number of connected devices will be significantly less. In a school setting students may be further away from Wi-Fi access points (e.g., a router) than they would be at home. Perhaps in part for these reasons, students reported experiencing more connectivity issues in their classrooms, libraries and campuses compared to at home when accessing high-speed Internet using computing devices. According to our research, a digital divide is felt both at home and in classroom settings. This is an important finding because it shows that initiatives to address the digital divide should not take education settings for granted and must focus on accelerating connectivity inside and outside of the classroom alike. This is particularly important for students who may not be able to learn from home. Separate research from Statista shows that all the five countries included in this research, to some extent, have an Internet penetration gap. For instance, the UK has 92.17% Internet penetration, meaning there is still scope to address the Internet connectivity gap in the Global North where it might otherwise be assumed that access to connectivity is generally no longer a problem. The University of Southampton research highlights a technology knowledge gap contributing to the connectivity gap. The study asked respondents for their views on Always Connected Personal Computers (ACPCs), which combine the