eNewsWire

The government agency for technology in education, Becta, in collaboration with the National Education Network (NEN) launched the first ever nationwide online schools quiz which took place last Friday. Thousands of primary school children up and down the country competed simultaneously in the interactive online competition battling to become the ‘Brainiest school in Britain’.

The Next Generation Learning National Schools Quiz was aimed at Key Stage 2 and open to pupils all across the country, aged between eight and nine years old. The online competition took place on Read more…

Becta, the government agency for technology in education, has launched a national online schools quiz that will be taking place on Friday 12th March. The Next Generation Learning National Schools Quiz will be an exclusively online competition, via the National Education Network (NEN), demonstrating the effect and innovative use of technology in learning. Becta hopes to see thousands of Key Stage 2 primary school children compete simultaneously all across the country, in the battle to become the ‘Brainiest school in Britain’.

Becta is the government agency leading the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology in learning. Becta’s ambition is to utilise the benefits of technology to create a more exciting, rewarding and successful experience for learners of all ages and abilities, enabling them to achieve their true potential. Read more…

Becta hopes to see thousands of primary school children up and down the country compete simultaneously in an online interactive competition to become the ‘Brainiest school in Britain’. The first ever nationwide online schools quiz has been launched by Becta, the government agency for technology in education, in collaboration with the National Education Network (NEN).

The nationwide schools quiz will be an exclusively online competition, via the National Education Network (NEN). The quiz will be covering curriculum areas such as history, science, citizenship, numeracy and literacy. A number of questions have been developed in association with a series of high profile national partners who include the Historic Royal Palaces, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the relevant subject associations. Read more…

Fifty-nine percent of parents admit to being in contact with their child’s school just once a term or less according to a report commissioned by Becta into parent teacher relationships. It has been proved in numerous studies that parental involvement is key to a child’s educational success, but it seems that many parents aren’t aware of just how important their role is.

Of the parents who admitted they rarely made contact with their child’s school, more than one in five (22 percent) said they did not see how being in regular contact has any benefit for their child. Read more…

Misunderstandings, a lack of confidence and unclear communication channels are putting children’s education at risk, according to a new report commissioned by Becta into communications between schools and teachers. Fifty-nine percent of parents admit to having little contact with their child’s school and sixty percent of school staff say parents feel their job stops at the school gates. However, forty-three percent of teachers admit parents might find them ‘difficult to approach sometimes’.

Becta is the government agency leading the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout teaching and learning. Read more…

Lack of after-school communication leads nearly a third (31%) of parents to feel ‘excluded’ which can then lead them to ‘hassle’ their children for information, according to a report commissioned by Becta, to support its Next Generation Learning campaign.

Professor Tanya Byron, child psychologist, who has been commissioned by Becta to explore the issue further offers simple, practical solutions to help improve and enhance communications between parents and children.

Professor Byron’s anxiety management tips for parents include:

• Ask both open and closed questions, noting which method encourages more information from your children.
• Alter the times you ask your children about their school day to find which time they are most open and honest – is it on the walk home from school / over the dinner table / before bed?
• Try talking about your own experiences at school to see if this prompts your children to be more forthcoming about their own day at school
• Experiment with different and creative communication styles including storytelling and note effectiveness
• Get your child to start a diary entitled ‘My Week at School – The Good, The Bad & The Funny’ to encourage your child to give you an overview of what has happened at school during the week
• Ask your child about their day whilst they’re doing an activity they enjoy e.g. playing on the Wii, in the bath, at mealtimes or before bedtime

Technology Matters

For over ten years, Becta has been leading the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout learning. The benefits of technology in schools are two-fold: making lessons and learning more enjoyable and successful, whilst also keeping parents better informed and involved with their child’s learning.

If your child’s school is engaging with you through technology, you should be able to:
• keep track of your children’s work, curriculum and homework assignments
• view their reports, attendance records and grades at any time of day that suits you
• keep in touch with teachers and other staff via email and text messaging

Becta’s Next Generation Learning campaign is urging parents to talk to their child’s school to find out how technology is already being used and also discuss ways it can help improve day-to-day communications between them and the school in the future.

For more information, click here or contact Laurence Borel at Shiny Red:
laurence.borel@shinyred.co.uk/ 0207 520 9537

The majority of parents admit they don’t know as much about their child’s day at school as they would like, according to a new Oh, Nothing Much report commissioned by Becta, the government agency for technology in learning, to support its Next Generation Learning campaign.

The survey of 1,000 children aged between seven and 14 years and 1,000 parents, reveals that 43% of parents admit they find it either difficult or very difficult to extract information from their child about their day at school.

Other key findings of the report include:
• A third of parents feel excluded by their children
• Only 16% of children proactively talk about school day
• Children admit they want to keep ‘hassling’ parents away from school life
• 82% of parents want schools to keep them better informed

Parents are not alone in facing this communication challenge: almost half of children (44%) don’t like sharing information with their parents they like to keep their school day private, and over a third (37%) of children say they find it quite or very difficult to speak to their parents about their education.

Tanya Byron, child psychologist, has been commissioned by Becta to explore the issue further and offer simple, practical solutions to help improve and enhance communications between parents, children and schools using technology in addition to more traditional methods.
According to Professor Byron, this inability or unwillingness for parent and child to communicate might have implications which will hamper a child’s progress, creating stress between the parent-child relationship and creating tension between parent and school as the packed school itinerary gets ‘lost in translation’.

For over ten years, Becta has been leading the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout learning. The benefits of technology in schools are two-fold: making lessons and learning more enjoyable and successful, whilst also keeping parents better informed and involved with their child’s learning.

Becta’s Next Generation Learning campaign is urging parents to talk to their child’s school to find out how technology is already being used, and also discuss ways it can help improve day-to-day communications between them and the school in the future.

Click this link for more information on Next Generation Learning, or contact Laurence Borel at Shiny Red:

laurence.borel@shinyred.co.uk/ 0207 520 9537

Plans to enable every child in England to have access to a computer and the internet at home took a step forward today with the announcement of the suppliers approved for the pilot phase.

The Home Access programme, which will be piloted in Oldham and Suffolk from February, aims to provide practical and financial support for low-income families to get online. Announced by the Prime Minister in September, it will target families with children aged 7-18 in full-time state-maintained education.

The Home Access programme forms part of Becta’s Next Generation Learning campaign, which promotes the best use of technology in learning (www.nextgenerationlearning.co.uk).

“There’s clear evidence to show that effective use of technology really does boost a child’s achievement,” said Becta Chief Executive Stephen Crowne. “We need to ensure that every child has an equal chance to tap into the benefits of the internet to support their learning at home.”

All families in the pilot areas will be able to buy all or some elements of approved Next Generation Learning @ Home packages. These consist of a computer, internet access, software and support services. Families eligible for financial help will get funding from a Home Access Grant scheme run by the local authority.

The packages will be provided by approved suppliers who have gone through an accreditation process run by Becta.

The following suppliers were awarded “approved supplier status” for the Home Access pilot phase:

* Centerprise International Ltd
* Positive IT Solutions
* RM Education plc
* Stone Computers Ltd
* XMA Ltd

Notes to editors:

Each supplier was assessed on their capability to deliver the Home Access package. They had to demonstrate a commercial understanding of the Home Access programme and how to meet the needs of the customer group, as well as their technical capability to provide a package in accordance with Becta’s published statement of requirements for Home Access packages.

The process included practical assessments of technical capability and an on-site assessment of business and quality processes.

About the Next Generation Learning Campaign – www.nextgenerationlearning.co.uk

The Next Generation Learning campaign will enable you to take charge and use technology to its full potential – if you’re a parent, it lets you get fully involved in your child’s education; if you’re a learner, it lets you learn how, when and where you want; and if you’re an employer, it helps you train your workforce efficiently and effectively.

Author:
Press Officer
Telephone: +44 (0)24 7679 7146
Email: press@becta.org.uk