FEATURE FOCUS: SUMMER LEARNING LOSS
within the school day. Young people need to know how to use technology effectively. But at the moment, unless they take Computer Science as a formal subject, they’ll struggle to learn much in school about topics like coding and AI. I’ve spoken to school leaders who are concerned about this as a good understanding of AI in particular really is becoming a 21st Century skill. Pupils who miss out on learning about these topics are more likely to find themselves disadvantaged when it comes to entering the world of work.
to ensure pupils had a solid foundation of learning in key subjects before coming into the crucial exam period. There was real appetite for this as we provided thousands of lessons to GCSE and A-Level pupils over the course of the Spring, filling in gaps in knowledge and building confidence before they went into their exams. While our latest project, Squad Sessions, was not designed specifically for the school holidays it is perfectly suited to meet this need. For Squad Sessions we’re offering free tutoring sessions hosted on YouTube in maths, chemistry, coding, and AI. Pupils can view these live, asking questions of the qualified tutor using the chat function and having them answer it in the session, or watch them back at any time. Sessions are held weekly for each subject with one of our brilliant subject matter expert tutors. There’s no obligation to sign up for anything more – we just want young people to watch the Sessions and see if it takes their interest! We know that sessions like this can have a really profound impact on children, getting them engaged and excited in both core subjects and in the key skills they’ll need to thrive in the future. They are also meeting two distinct, yet equally important, needs.
Firstly, they provide valuable support in chemistry and maths, two core subjects where pupils are struggling. The importance of improving our pupils’ maths skills were highlighted recently by the Prime Minister laying out proposals for every pupil to continue to study maths throughout their time at school. The reaction to this from schools was mixed, agreeing with him on the importance of the subject while worrying about how this could actually happen.
We’re happy to help here: providing maths tutoring from a subject expert, for free. The Squad Sessions videos are only 45 minutes long, which includes 15 minutes of question- and-answer time, so tutees can check their understanding. And because the sessions can be watched at any time, we can be confident that pupils aren’t missing out unnecessarily. Secondly, we know how important it is for our young people to develop key digital skills in an increasingly technologically advanced age. Unfortunately, schools are struggling to add these into their already-crowded curricula, especially as
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the pace of change is so fast that what support they receive from the Government will quickly be outdated.
Instead, our tutors offer up-to-date lessons on coding and AI, bringing their cutting-edge knowledge to these vitally important subjects. This summer is the perfect opportunity for young people to develop their expertise here in depth. This is so important because it is growing ever more evident that we need to address the issue of digital literacy among our young people. Research from the World Economic Forum stated that knowledge of AI and cloud computing are increasingly vital for success in the workplace. Without this, we risk pupils going out into the world of work ill-prepared for what they’ll be required to do. And this is already happening – the Good Things Foundation found that this skills gap is costing the UK economy and workers £12.8bn.
What’s more, WorldSkills UK in partnership with the Learning and Work Institute stated that one in four employers lacks the basic digital skills they need, rising to more than one in three when it comes to advanced digital skills. We’re hearing it from our schools as well, who are seeing their pupils get more interested in using technology each year, but who often struggle to provide in-depth education here
Tutoring is of course just one of the potential tools at a school’s disposal to support their pupils here, but it is unquestionably a valuable one. When organised over the summer holidays it means pupils can build on the previous year’s learning or can take this time to learn new skills which could well prove essential for the future. That’s why instead of seeing the summer holiday as a problem, as an inevitable source of learning loss which sets our young people back, I’d argue we can use it as an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge, in core subjects and in important extras.
This also has the additional benefit of avoiding the issues around trying to cram more learning into an already-packed school day, or week, or term. Instead of asking overworked teachers to go even further, or exhausting children who are already trying to take in so much in a short term, we can provide additional learning during a time which can otherwise go to waste. We can embrace the idea of year-round learning, of using this long break to create new learning opportunities for children who would otherwise be at real risk of starting the new academic year far behind their peers. Of course, we would not expect young people to spend their entire summer holiday revising and learning more. This is such an important time to relax, enjoy time outside, learn new skills, and take a mental and physical break from schoolwork. We strongly encourage pupils working with MyTutor to take time off their work in their holidays, to rest and prepare for the upcoming term, and to spend time not even thinking about school. But, when we know how effective a few short online sessions can be, I’d advise any school, parent, or pupil, to look into whether tutoring could work for them this summer.
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