NEWS
New report reveals impact of lockdown on teaching and technology in school
According to new research from RM – a leading supplier of technology to the education sector – four-in-five (80%) teachers believe that the loss of effective teaching time over the last 11 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic will have a long-term impact on pupils’ education. The research comes as education establishments across England prepare
to re-open their school gates to all pupils from 8th March following the latest two months of remote learning for all but the vulnerable and children of key workers. The report reveals how teachers’ and parents’ attitudes to technology
have changed, with 79% of teachers and 70% of parents recognising that their school’s historic use of technology (pre-Covid) was insufficient for what is now required to deliver good educational outcomes for children. John Baskerville (pictured), managing director of RM’s technology
division, said, “As an industry, we’ve faced a year like no other. Teachers, parents and children have had to adapt to completely new ways of teaching and learning, much of which has been underpinned by technology. The majority of schools have risen to the occasion and teachers have worked tirelessly to educate our children during lockdown,
but it’s clear that we still have a way to go in ensuring technology is being used effectively, and supports teachers in providing children with the education they deserve. “Before the pandemic, only a minority of
schools were talking about remote or blended learning. But that all changed with the lockdowns, and I am in awe of the resourcefulness of teachers in this country who have ensured their students have the best chance possible to maintain their education. It is clear that those schools that had the right technology in place are the ones that made the leap to remote learning most easily. As an industry, we must acknowledge this point and commit that one of the legacies from Covid is that schools and teachers are equipped with the best possible technology to ensure that they can give pupils the education they deserve – no matter what is thrown at them – and that we can use this as a catalyst to enhancing the learning process for everyone in this country.”
uwww.rm.com/education
Pupils’ grades in “economically deprived” areas drop by double the average during pandemic
Pupils across England are two months behind in grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) and one month behind in both maths and reading on average. Disadvantaged children have fallen much further behind, according to new RS Assessment from Hodder Education (a division of Hachette UK) data taken from core subject tests sat by 250,000 primary school pupils across Years 1 to 6 in England. The data is the most extensive review of attainment
since the pandemic began. It covers widely-used tests for reading (PiRA), maths (PUMA), and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GAPS), which were undertaken at the end of the autumn term 2020. Katie Blainey, Publishing Director at RS Assessment
from Hodder Education, comments: “We know the continued disruption in schools is affecting children’s education across the country in different ways, and we hope that our large-scale analysis helps to shine a light on where support is most needed. We are encouraged to see overall attainment very close to prior years, highlighting the continued hard work of teachers throughout this challenging time.
“However, we are aware that there are increases in
educational disparities related to poverty. We hope that our analysis will highlight this and help ensure all children, regardless of background, get a fair education.” Simon Burgess, Professor of Economics at University of
Bristol, comments: “These data are vital to get a sense of the scale of the learning loss to make up as the government considers strategies to help young people recover. The results confirm fears that most pupils have experienced significant learning losses, and that these losses are unequally distributed. “For example, the learning gap in maths between
disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils grew by about 40 percent for Year 6 pupils between 2019 and 2020. This type of evidence is very concerning and needs to be at the forefront of discussions around learning catch-up.” The data was provided by RS Assessment from Hodder
Education with insights provided by education data analytics company SchoolDash. The full report can be downloaded from: u
https://www.risingstars-uk.com/whitepaper21
LEAF Education launches new lambing project to engage young people
LEAF Education has launched an exciting new project that will give nursery and primary school pupils a unique glimpse, behind the scenes, into the UK lambing season. The project, which is tailored to pupils from EYFS, KS1
and KS2 will share a weekly lambing video sent directly from a farm in Yorkshire with schools, with the first being available now. The pre-recorded videos can be easily downloaded and are designed to show young people how a farm works without leaving the classroom. The video content will cover many parts of the science
curriculum including the following: • How farmers prepare for lambing including scanning • What happens during the birth of a lamb • How farmers care for young animals • How and when farmers turn the lambs out • How farmers look after sheep, including herding and feeding
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www.education-today.co.uk
• Why farmers keep sheep, including what wool is used for and how it is sheared Carl Edwards, Director of Education and Public
Engagement at LEAF Education, explains: “We are delighted to be able to offer thousands of pupils this unique opportunity for the very first time. The project is already proving incredibly popular, but we are encouraging all schools who haven’t already signed up to get in touch. We know that the more children know about their food, where it comes from and why farming matters, the more likely they are to be able to make more informed and healthier food choices in later life.”
uTo sign up for the lambing videos, please visit
https://forms.gle/4c2CzbYx4aMrmqpP9
March 2021
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