Pearson Schools Blog

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that enabling learning for primary children through digital technology is hard without preparation. Schools that had invested in pedagogy, technology and partnerships have ridden the storms of lockdowns better and with less disruption. 

Primary teachers have been amazingly adaptable and creative in their solutions. So much is normally built into the physical spaces and human interactions on top of the formal curriculum, that moving to online resources to deliver the curriculum while maintaining relationships with the children was a big ask.  

As we find a way out of lockdown and the 21/22 academic year comes into view this is a good time to explore how to make digital provision a more natural part of school life by integrating the best aspects of our lockdown experiences.  

In late 2020, a flurry of electrifying poems swept in to be judged for Pearson’s poetry competition on the subject of ‘Belonging’. Inspired by Imtiaz Dharker’s whirlwind exploration of confused identity, In Wales, Wanting To Be Italian (PDF, 211KB), and influenced by pieces from Pearson’s GCSE collection Belonging, British students from Years 9, 10 and 11 submitted a broad selection of brilliant verse.

In our recent Plotting Ahead roundtable series, we recognised a need for change. The figures, trends and patterns that have emerged with regards to diversity and inclusion in English (and indeed, education as a whole) have culminated in a collective desire to drive forward improvements.

We also recognised that change cannot happen in isolation. Outside of schools, there is a vast community of allies that are required to work together to enable and enact change. Parents/carers, schools, teacher trainers, publishers, librarians, the DfE, Ofqual and many more, need to work together from both within their organisations and communities, and without, to implement structural and sustained change.

Pearson Maths Advisers, Mark and Nicola, combine their 28 years of teaching experience to offer 10 tips and considerations for secondary teachers when it comes to teaching maths remotely.

Simon Holden-White, Senior Product Manager in the Primary Maths team at Pearson, reflects on new research into teachers' views on maths education amidst COVID-19 and shares some top tips for primary schools when teaching maths remotely this lockdown and beyond.

Here the NRICH Primary Team, one of our Power of Maths partners, share their top tips for primary teachers when it comes to remote maths teaching and learning.

With as many as 650,000 students off school and a growing number of schools facing closures in the new year due to Covid-19, digital learning has a significant role to play in education. And yet new research reveals the need for schools to receive greater support so that teachers can confidently and effectively deliver core subjects like maths remotely.

The results of the TIMSS 2019 study have been announced, as you may have seen, with Year 5 children in England scoring 10 points higher in maths than in 2015. This feels like a moment to say a big ‘congratulations!’ to all our Primary teachers, as well as the children themselves.

The Apprentice 20 event will not be taking place in the City of London’s Guildhall on the 29th and 30th June this year due to the current circumstances. Instead, they have created a website to enable you to explore the world of apprenticeships and some fantastic career opportunities. It will open doors to lead you directly to employers offering an extraordinary and dynamic range of career pathways.