VIEWS & OPINION Why schools need a


‘digital-first’ strategy Comment by Dr JOHN COLLICK, Head of International Strategy at Promethean


While schools were never fully closed during the nationwide lockdown, the reality is that teachers had to support the majority of students with remote learning for many months. Having mobilised this support with very little time to prepare,


schools are to be commended for their resourcefulness and responsiveness to what were genuinely unprecedented circumstances. However, it is widely accepted that students learn best when in a classroom environment, where they can engage socially with their peers and benefit from personalised teacher direction. That said, as localised COVID-19 risk management strategies are


deployed, there remains a requirement for schools to be prepared to support students learning from home at short notice. But how can this be achieved without placing additional pressure on teachers in relation to lesson preparation and curriculum delivery? One practical solution is to adopt a ‘digital-first’ strategy that enables


the same lesson materials to be used whether students are in the classroom or learning from home.


Digitally minded During the initial period of remote learning there was a shift towards adopting distance learning technologies. In many cases, teachers had no prior experience of utilising these solutions, demanding a steep learning curve and creating additional pressure to prepare compatible lesson materials. With students now back in school, the focus of lesson preparation is


very much on classroom-based learning. By adopting a digital-first approach, teachers will be able to utilise the same lesson content in the classroom as supporting any students that need to learn from home for short periods of time. For example, a front of class display like the Promethean ActivPanel,


acts as a hub of interactivity, used to promote participation and encourage engagement within the classroom. Using accompanying lesson delivery software, ActivInspire, teachers


can develop creative and dynamic flipchart lessons. Creating powerful collaborative content, these resources will also support teachers in re- engaging students as they adjust to learning back in the classroom. Crucially, these same resources can also be used to support students


learning from home – without impacting teacher workload to produce duplicate content. With ActivInspire Screen Recorder, teachers can record lessons and


share these with students who may not be in the classroom. Additionally, the Screen Share app on the Promethean ActivPanel enables teachers to connect with up to 39 digital devices wherever they are, to share work and information to keep learning moving. Recognising that the ‘digital divide’ means that technology is not


always accessible at home, ActivInspire lessons can be converted to PDF format and distributed as printed worksheets if necessary – again, without the teacher having to prepare a whole new suite of materials.


Future-proofing technology The digital divide is not exclusive to technology access at home, it is also emerging as a challenge for schools. When evaluating where technology upgrades are required, schools should prioritise investment that will support students in the classroom – as this is where they learn best, and where they will be learning for most of the time. However, given that there will be a need to temporarily support learning at home for short periods of time, investing in technologies which can also accommodate this approach will not only help minimise teacher workload, it will also future proof the investment.


October 2020


Why teacher wellbeing must stay in the spotlight


Comment by GRAHAM COOPER, Product Strategy Director, Juniper Education


To help pupils reintegrate into school life, rebuild their confidence and get ready to learn, teaching staff need to feel mentally resilient themselves. However, after a volatile six months


during which uncertainty was a constant theme, many teachers have seen their stress levels rise to an all-time high. With the pandemic still throwing our day-to-day lives into turmoil, this academic year is looking far from predictable. Teachers and school leaders need to do all they can to stay healthy mentally as well as physically.


Exceptional challenges Teacher Tapp, the survey app for teachers, has been monitoring staff wellbeing for the past year, and the data shows levels of anxiety among teachers and headteachers mirrored what was happening with the pandemic. In the run up to the announcement closing schools to all pupils except


those who were vulnerable or the children of keyworkers, stress levels sky-rocketed, with more than a quarter of teachers reporting very high work-related anxiety. As lockdown went on, Headteachers’ wellbeing suffered as they


tackled logistical and pastoral challenges such as moving learning online and managing staff availability. When the June reopening for some year groups was announced, 40% of headteachers felt highly anxious, reflecting their concerns about keeping everyone in school safe. The start of term in September saw another spike in anxiety levels, and although we cannot foresee how the rest of the year will play out, there are bound to be further Covid-19 related issues which will affect wellbeing in schools.


Mutual support for school staff The school leaders I speak to are finding the best approach to combatting stress is to have an open dialogue on the impact of the pandemic on school life. Helping staff to spot the signs of a colleague in distress is also a good strategy. One simple way to monitor how staff are feeling is to arrange a 10- minute debriefing at the end of each day that allows everyone to air any issues that have arisen during that day, such as a child’s struggle to re- establish good learning behaviours, or a question from a concerned parent. These debriefs give teachers the opportunity to share the more straightforward tensions of each day before they mount up.


Helping leaders to lead School leaders are carrying the burden of teachers’ anxiety at a time where their decisions are critical to the safety of their school communities. Mitigating the threat of virus outbreaks while ensuring every child is making progress with their learning can seem an impossible balance. However, it needn’t be lonely at the top. Sharing best practice not


only helps leaders in their decision-making, it can also reduce the impact of stress. Many heads find their MATs or local authorities are a good source of support, as well as networking with counterparts from other local schools. Headteachers also benefit from regular, open and transparent


communication with their senior leadership team and governing bodies. Having the opportunity to discuss approaches with knowledgeable


colleagues can be a valuable source of support. It has never been more important to focus on teacher wellbeing, because only when school staff look after their own mental health will they have the strength to focus on helping their pupils.


To read about how primary school and MAT leaders are executing their Covid-19 exit strategy, download https://junipereducation.org/white- paper/making-the-impossible-possible/ a white paper from Juniper Education.


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