Released today as an academic working paper, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the study explores work-related anxiety of more than 13,000 classroom teachers and headteachers in England at 75 points between October 2019 and July 2022.

It reveals that prior to the pandemic, one in four (25%) headteachers were highly anxious about work – only slightly above the level of class teachers. However, during the pandemic, around 35% of headteachers reported that they regularly had high levels of anxiety about work during term time, which was consistently higher than for class teachers. This reached a peak in January 2021, when almost two-thirds (65%) of headteachers in England felt highly anxious about work, compared to 42% of class teachers.

With the study also revealing that the share of deputy and assistant heads who say they want to become a head teacher one day has fallen from 56% pre-pandemic to 48% post-pandemic, the authors have raised concerns around the declining levels of those seeking headship.

Study co-author Professor John Jerrim (UCL Social Research Institute based at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society) said: “The COVID-19 pandemic led to one of the biggest shocks the world has ever seen – with schools closed and disruption to working patterns and conditions. Coupled with ever-changing government policy around schools, it’s unsurprising that the pandemic had a major impact on staff across the sector.

“However, the differences in levels of anxiety are quite shocking, and the additional strain that was put on headteachers in particular is clear. It’s vital that the government now reflect on guidance and support given to school leaders during difficult periods, with greater attention paid on ensuring that schools can recruit and retain the best headteachers in future.”

The study also highlights the substantial differences in working hours across the pandemic and between teacher roles. During the first lockdown in March 2020, class teachers worked around 25-30 hours per week, compared to a pre-lockdown norm of closer to 45 hours. Headteachers reported that they were regularly working around 20 hours more per week during the first lockdown than class teachers, and around 10 hours more per week during the rest of the pandemic.

The researchers found that during the first wave, delivering direct instruction on-site rather than at home, providing live lessons and working longer hours were all associated with higher levels of work-related anxiety.

However, the paper also highlighted that levels of anxiety were not uniform across different groups of teachers in the study, with differences seen across gender and parental status. Before the pandemic, male and female teachers with young children (under five) had reasonably similar levels of anxiety about work, with around one in five experiencing high levels of work-related anxiety. But, at the height of the pandemic in winter 2020, around a third of female teachers with a child under five felt highly anxious about work, compared to a fifth of males.

Study co-author Dr Sam Sims (UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities) said: “What’s clear from this study is that the effects of the pandemic have been felt unevenly across the school workforce. Prior to the pandemic, women already had higher work-related anxiety than men. We found that amongst teachers with pre-school children, it was mainly women who became more anxious about work.”

Dr Emily Tanner (Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation) said: “By tracking anxiety levels, this research provides an important new perspective on the immediate and longer-term impact of Covid on the school workforce. The heightened pressures faced by school leaders and the declining appetite for headship among deputy and assistant heads highlight the need for better support to shore up sustainable leadership.”

To establish their findings, the researchers collected data using an app called ‘Teacher Tapp’. Respondents were asked to rate their anxiety about work on a given day from 0 (‘not at all anxious’) to 10 (‘completely anxious’), with ratings given at the same time and day each week.

Respondents were also asked questions about their work environments, such as the learning activities they had done that day, number of hours worked, and how often during the pandemic they were on site (at school).

The researchers then used statistical modelling to explore differences in average work-related anxiety scores before and during the pandemic between groups with different characteristics (gender, job role, parental status (and age of children), and school characteristics), as well as whether teachers were working from home or on site.

The researchers note the limitations of their study, highlighting that the Teacher Tapp panel is a self-selecting sample rather than a random draw from the teacher population. They also note that their analysis focuses specifically on the work-related anxiety of teachers and does not include other related aspects of mental health such as depression and stress, which may have been impacted in subtly different ways.

This final round of testing found significantly higher antibody prevalence in both primary and secondary students compared to the last round of testing between 10 January and 2 February 2022, when 97% and 62% of secondary and primary school students, respectively, tested positive for antibodies.

The study also found that over three in four (78%) of children aged four to seven years tested positive for antibodies.

During the third round of testing for antibodies as part of the SIS project, which is jointly led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Office for National Statistics (ONS) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 10,109 students from 116 primary schools and 52 secondary schools took part.

The pupil antibody test used in SIS was based on oral fluid collection, a non-invasive alternative to collecting blood and more suitable for self-administered use by children.

However, this test is less sensitive (estimated at 80%) and antibody levels are less concentrated in oral fluid samples compared to blood, so some pupils who previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may test negative. Therefore, the results cannot be used as a measure of prior COVID-19 infection over a long time period.

Dr Patrick Nguipdop-Djomo, co-chief investigator of the study at LSHTM, said: “There has been a small increase in secondary school students testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies, around 99% compared to 97% in the second round of testing in January and February 2022. This rise in antibody prevalence was larger in primary school students, increasing from 62% in the last round of testing to 82% in this round. It is not surprising that we are seeing this increase in antibody prevalence in primary schools, given it is consistent with the high rates of children infected with the Omicron variant during the spring term.”

The study also used surveys to gather data about vaccine sentiment amongst parents of students. It found that less than one in 10 (6%) of primary school pupils has received at least one vaccine against COVID-19 during March 2022.

The proportion of primary school pupils who were unvaccinated and whose parents said they were ‘unlikely’ to agree to their child being vaccinated significantly increased from 24% in round 1 (December 2021) to 36% in round 3 (March 2022).

Of secondary school pupils, the proportion of those who were unvaccinated and who reported being ‘unlikely’ to agree to receiving a vaccine was similar in round 3 to in round 1, 13% and 15% respectively.

Dr Nguipdop-Djomo added: “The vaccine sentiment data suggests that the majority of secondary school students who said they were likely to get the vaccine in December did indeed get the vaccine. Parents of primary school students who said they were ‘unlikely’ to vaccinate their child has increased by 12%, with many saying they do not think their child need the vaccine or they are waiting to see how the vaccine work. This underlines the importance of a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 in younger children to help parents in their decisions and provide appropriate public health messaging including both the safety and benefits of vaccination.”

Fiona Dawe, Deputy Director, Wider Surveillance Studies at the ONS, said: “Today’s data shows a significant increase, from January to March this year, in the number of pupils with COVID-19 antibodies, with nearly all secondary school pupils and most primary school pupils likely to test positive for antibodies.

“Though we cannot say for certain, it is likely these increases have been driven by the more transmissible Omicron variants becoming dominant across the UK, as well as the continuing vaccine programme for secondary school-aged pupils.

“I would like to thank every pupil, parent and headteacher who have taken part in the Schools Infection Survey over the last two years, your contributions have been invaluable.”

Dr Georgina Ireland, Senior Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “This study shows that the majority of primary and secondary school pupils had COVID-19 antibodies in March 2022.

“Most children and young people with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms and a short period of illness, and those with persistent symptoms will improve with time.

“Thank you to all the children, families and schools who have taken part in this survey and provided valuable insights and furthered our understanding of COVID-19 in education settings.”

With the added threat of the highly transmissible COVID variant Omicron, it’s essential that schools are able to effectively ventilate classrooms to reduce transmission and avoid further closures. It’s also important for schools to be able to balance thermal comfort and effective levels of ventilation. Vent-Axia has therefore created a new webpage for schools at https://www.vent-axia.com/ventilationinschools explaining how to protect students’ wellbeing while keeping them warm, and detailing ventilation solutions.

Having effective ventilation installed and improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) is paramount to the health and wellbeing of both students and teachers. If a school does not have adequate ventilation, then the only option is to open windows, this not only causes heat loss and cold draughts depending on the season but high levels of CO₂ can build-up if windows are left unopened which often exceeds the CIBSE guidelines maximum of 1500ppm directly affecting the performance and attention span of those in the room, causing tiredness, drowsiness, and a lack of concentration. Longer term exposure to polluted air is also linked too many serious health conditions such as cancer, asthma and cardiovascular diseases.

“Schools have been set a huge challenge in keeping classrooms open and students safe during the pandemic. With this latest study adding to the body of evidence of the vital role of ventilation in reducing COVID spread, our new webpage aims to provide schools with all the information they need in one place” explains Tom Wodcke, Product Manager at Vent-Axia. “As well as reducing COVID transmission and helping ensure thermal comfort, ventilation in classrooms provides good indoor air quality (IAQ) protecting the health and wellbeing of students and staff and increasing concentration and productivity levels.”

Schools will be aware of the value of CO₂ monitors as a proxy sensor since the Government has been supplying them to state schools to identify badly ventilated areas. Vent-Axia’s CO₂ sensors are discreetly located on a wall and can intelligently boost ventilation based on the detected CO₂ levels. They can also provide a warning indication for teachers if CO₂ levels rise above acceptable levels with a useful traffic light system on the front, so that teachers can activate purge ventilation when required.

Vent-Axia also has a range of solutions for schools to improve their ventilation. The Slimpak EC box fan ducted system continuously supplies fresh air or extracts stale air or both. These fans can be connected to a CO₂ sensor for optimal air quality control. Meanwhile, the ACM100-200 and ACM250-315 mixed flow in-line fans provide ceiling mounted cooling in the summer or can recirculate the warm air from the ceiling in the winter to minimise the amount of time space heaters need to be active.

Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon T-Series fans can provide background or purge ventilation in a classroom and are easily fitted to an existing window or through a wall. A single fan can provide enough ventilation to comply with BB101 for a 32-pupil classroom. Furthermore, the Vent-Axia PureAir Room is an advanced multistage air cleaning system that can remove harmful particles and smells from a classroom. Thanks to being portable, it can be located anywhere where there is a mains outlet meaning no installation is required.

Vent-Axia is here to help schools with free advice to help them protect their students from COVID in most cost-effective way. Visit the webpage at https://www.vent-axia.com/ventilationinschools to find out more and to get in touch with Vent-Axia.

“Following the rapid escalation of omicron cases across the UK and around the world, we have taken the decision to postpone Bett 2022, alongside Ahead by Bett, Learnit and our Hosted Leaders Programme. The new dates for these events are 23-25 March 2022, and will continue to take place at the ExCeL London.

“Our commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of our community necessitated the shift and we considered feedback from many of our exhibitors, sponsors, attendees and speakers, as well as the impact of changing travel restrictions globally. Our global partners Microsoft, BESA and the UK’s Department for Education are supportive of the change and the new show dates.

“Holding Bett in-person at the end of March presents an important opportunity for the education and technology community to come together to learn, trade and network and to look positively to the future of teaching and learning.

“All visitor registration, exhibitor stand, sponsorship and hosted meetings will automatically be transferred to the new dates. We will be in touch in the New Year to explain the next steps and to let you know more about the rescheduled event.

“In the meantime, please do make sure that if you have booked hotel rooms and flights you contact your providers to cancel your booking or move forward in line with the new show dates.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you for your incredible support and your continued understanding whilst we work through the details at this challenging time.”

Dr Junaid Mubeen, Director of Education explains: “Learning loss is such a loaded term. At Whizz we simply take it to mean a decline in students’ knowledge levels, which is hardly surprising in the face of severe disruptions this past year. Despite the tireless efforts of teachers to adapt lessons and provide remote classes, the global pandemic has had a drastic effect on pupils’ learning. “We found that pencil and paper multiplication was the skill that fared worst, along with pencil and paper addition, both demonstrating more than six months of knowledge declines across the sample.

“Knowledge declines were less severe in topics such as integers, powers and roots and also decimals (5 months’ learning loss). Children studying these topics are generally older, however, so these findings reflect similar studies we have conducted in other regions around the world, where younger pupils with a limited store of knowledge to draw on, suffered a higher degree of learning loss.

“It is also likely that those in our underserved communities have been hardest hit – a sad consequence of the pandemic is that it has exacerbated the attainment gap, with disadvantaged students falling further behind due to lack of access to online learning during school closures. We’ve observed this in both the UK and globally.

“While we recognise that some students have lost almost a year’s worth of maths knowledge, when addressing how best to move forwards it is important that teachers are not put under further pressure, or that students are made to feel penalised, for events which have, frankly, been out of their control. We should not expect quick fixes; it will take months, even years, for students to regain any lost ground. The emphasis needs to be on informal assessment of gaps and ensuring each student receives individualised support that addresses their specific knowledge gaps. Virtual tutors can play an important part in the battle against learning loss, without inducing further burdens on teachers.

“At Whizz Education, we believe that every child deserves a learning experience that caters to their individual needs and pace of learning. We work closely in partnership with schools to develop quality bespoke learning programmes delivered via our virtual tutoring platform, Maths-Whizz. Maths-Whizz uses powerful AI to build a completely personalised plan for each child, and then continues to tailor it as they complete lessons.

“Maths-Whizz provides more than 1,250 pre-prepared lesson plans, assisting teachers to deliver measurable learning gains for children with a range of abilities. Our research shows with just 60 minutes per week of Maths-Whizz over a six-week summer period, students can expect to acquire a 4-month learning advantage. This year of all years, this seems like too great an opportunity to pass up.”

To find out more about Whizz Education and the Maths-Whizz virtual tutor please see: www.whizzeducation.com

Much has been said about the enforced shift to online education for schools and universities due to the pandemic. As we begin to emerge from the worst of COVID-19, what do all these changes mean for the future of education?

Of course, it’s not just school and college students who have switched to online learning. At Shaw Academy, we’ve seen our student enrolments shoot up since COVID-19 hit. And even before the pandemic, numbers were growing as millions more people take advantage of the flexibility and relative affordability of eLearning.

Online learning trends for the future – Shaw Academy’s view

A recent survey by Shaw Academy showed that registrations were up by 582% during 2020 as more people turn to online learning. We live in the digital age and the data reflects this, with social media topping the list of the most popular courses, followed by photography and baking.

Online learning platforms like Shaw Academy have grown out of this demand for at-home online learning. Offering an extension of self-learning in a more formalised way, with relatively much cheaper and more flexible courses than formal institutions.

Can online learning match formal education?

Due to the pandemic, we’ve seen that online learning now plays a vital role in education. The flexibility, accessibility and ease of use that it offers thanks to modern technology opens up education to anyone, anywhere.

That’s the beauty of online learning. We welcome students from all around the world and from all kinds of backgrounds. Some are looking to enhance their current job role, while others are training for a brand-new career or to start their own business. The flexibility of twice-weekly lectures in the form of live webinars that can be watched back at any time works for everyone, regardless of other commitments.

It’s not just students at school or university who were existing learners before the pandemic who have been taking up online learning. Since the first lockdown in the UK there has been a huge increase in people looking for online education opportunities.

Fundamental changes to education sector due to the pandemic

COVID-19 has forced the whole world to rethink how they live and work. And while many of the measures put in place regarding work and education may be temporary, an equal number are likely to be here to stay. Such short-term changes within education are inevitably going to change the entire landscape of the sector going forward.

Technology plays a major part in the changes we will see within education over the next few years. There is a stark difference between accessible high speed Internet access between the developed world and emerging economies. These issues are now being addressed due to the impact of the pandemic and the obvious urgency underlying the need to get everyone online.

Aside from the tech infrastructure, there are many exciting developments that will be applied to online learning. For example, it’s likely that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will be incorporated as standard features by 2030.

Shaw Academy believe there will also be developments in the kinds of subjects that people want to study. A growing interest and understanding that coding, IT, programming and design will be in demand is reflected in the number of people who want to study emerging technology.

Furthermore, the development and improvement in online learning is a great leveller. With accessible, deliverable, and flexible education available online, digital learning becomes accessible for people who live with disabilities.

For workplaces and schools, a safe reopening during the ongoing pandemic can only be achieved with a robust risk-reduction strategy that covers all transmission routes. Since one of the primary ways that COVID-19 is spread is through the air by aerosols – airborne liquid particles that may carry infection – keeping these particles out of the nearby air by regularly introducing clean and fresh air into communal spaces (i.e. ventilating) is vital for preventing the spread of disease.

So how do you ventilate spaces effectively? And how do you know if ventilation practices are even working?

The UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), along with The Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) (UK) and the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) (Europe), have issued guidelines on how to improve ventilation in rooms. Their advice includes opening windows, ensuring regular breaks for occupants and increasing mechanical ventilation.

All three reports also highlight CO2 monitoring as a key tool for any effective ventilation strategy, both to help improve ventilation and to help assess its efficacy.

Why is CO2 monitoring important?

Feeling that a room has become ‘stuffy’ or feeling drowsy after hours sat in a meeting room are sensations that are familiar to many-and they’re caused by a build-up of CO2.

Just like CO2, aerosols carrying infectious diseases that are exhaled by occupants will linger in the air without sufficient ventilation. The longer that a room is occupied, the greater the volume of infectious aerosols that will build up, and the greater the risk of infection.

It is possible to evaluate the level of ventilation available in a room just by assessing how occupants are feeling. For example, if a person perceives that a room feels ‘stuffy’, they may proceed to open a window to increase air flow rates. However, this method is ultimately reliant on guesswork, and occupants may not be able to detect simply by feeling alone when extra ventilation is needed until it is too late.

Monitoring CO2 levels eliminates guesswork from ventilation assessment and enables a systematic approach to increasing ventilation. By accurately measuring the volume of CO2 in the air, CO2 monitors provide hard evidence of when extra ventilation is needed – which might be a long time before occupants feel that the room could do with some fresh air.

The report from SAGE identifies that CO2 monitoring is particularly important in workplaces and schools, where it is most likely to be an effective indicator of ventilation rates.

In spaces that are used for extended durations by groups, i.e. offices and classrooms, CO2 measurements reflect the air quality with a greater accuracy and give a good indication of ventilation conditions.

By contrast, CO2 monitoring is not as effective at indicating ventilation rates in large volume or low occupancy spaces, where airflow and dispersion of occupants may vary. In these areas, however, SAGE still recommends aiming to keep CO2 levels low (below 800ppm) as a good rule of thumb.

How to improve ventilation with CO2 monitoring

After establishing what ventilation is available in a room, CO2 monitors should be used for two purposes:

• to alert when extra ventilation is needed
• to evaluate the efficacy of ventilation

CO2 monitors should be placed on an inside wall, with sensors facing away from windows or grilles so that the readings are as accurate to the inside conditions as possible. It is also recommended that they are placed in visible positions c. 1.5m off of the ground so that responsible persons can easily act upon their alerts.

Alarms show when extra ventilation is needed

Alarms on CO2 monitors can alert occupants of the immediate need to increase ventilation in a room by signalling that the CO2 concentration has exceeded acceptable levels.

As a visual indicator, CO2 alarms also help to boost awareness of the importance of ventilation. The CIBSE report suggests that involving school pupils in responding to CO2 alerts can help to increase ventilation efficacy by improving awareness.

The reports suggest that alarms should be set to alert when the CO2 concentration measures at or above 1000ppm. If or when an alarm is triggered, action should be taken to immediately increase air flow into the occupied space. Opening high windows is an effective strategy, especially in colder months, as it will sufficiently increase ventilation rates while not significantly lowering room temperature or causing a draught.

For schools with mechanical ventilation systems, the reports recommended maximising fresh air flow at all times.

Take informed action with long-term recorded data

With data loggers, CO2 levels can be recorded over time so that data can be viewed and analysed, and further action taken based on this evidence.

Data from CO2 monitoring should be used to assess whether ventilation measures are taking effect.

Time-stamped data from one room might show that instances of increasing natural ventilation-for example, by opening windows or doors-is effective at lowering CO2 levels. For a different room, with different dimensions and different available ventilation routes, analysis of data may reveal that there is a need to implement more significant measures to fully protect the health of occupants. Rooms which are shown to regularly record above 1500ppm should be identified and prioritised for improvements to ventilation.

A further advantage of monitoring with a CO2 data logger is that long-term recorded data can provide evidence of the need for significant or structural changes to be made, helping to support funding applications.

The Tinytag CO2 data logger

Robust, easy-to-use and quick to deploy, the Tinytag CO2 data logger is a simple and effective solution for indoor air quality monitoring.

Using a self-calibrating non-dispersive infrared sensor (NDIR), the data logger accurately measures and records carbon dioxide concentrations with outstanding long-term stability. The TGE-0010 model measures from 0 to 2000ppm and is ideal for measuring indoor air quality in busy classrooms or offices. A model measuring up to 5000ppm is also available for more specialised applications.

The data logger has an LED on its front which will flash red when an alarm has been triggered, enabling responsive action to high CO2 levels. The data logger can be wall-mounted or placed on surfaces to continuously monitor CO2 concentrations wherever is required. Compact and light-weight, the logger can be situated anywhere where there is a mains supply, and can easily be transferred between different locations for versatile monitoring throughout a building.

Data is offloaded and viewed in user-friendly Tinytag Explorer software, where it can then be exported to third-party programmes in a variety of popular file formats (.xls, .xml, .csv, .txt) for further analysis and presentation.

Gemini Data Loggers also offers a certificated calibration service that is traceable to National Standards. CO2 data loggers can be calibrated prior to shipment, or returned to Gemini at any time for calibration.

While low levels of CO2 are a good indication of effective ventilation, they are not confirmation of low aerosol transmission by themselves. Other transmission factors, including occupant density, occupant duration and the type of activity being performed in a room should also be taken into account when assessing transmission rates. A good COVID-19 risk management strategy should also comprise mitigation efforts for other transmission routes, for example, mask-wearing, social distancing and reducing occupancy time in rooms.

Wellspring Academy Trust held its annual Festival of Learning virtually, showcasing the future of trust-wide interaction and shared learning. Whilst the shift was necessary due to Covid restrictions, the process has revealed how effective, engaging CPD can be delivered on a large, geographically diverse, trust-wide basis.

Natalie Hardman, chief administration officer, at Wellspring explains: “Our Festival of Learning is a highlight of our year, and a fantastic opportunity for our community of 25 schools to get together, be inspired and share their knowledge. There was no way we could let Covid stop that!

“Moving online proved hugely successful. We had 1,696 people all online together to watch the live stream of our keynote speaker and attendees booked 5,182 sessions in total. As well as colleagues from across the trust, we also welcomed colleagues from a further fifteen non-Wellspring schools.

“Sharing best practice across a trust that is spread across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and eight local authority areas can be a huge logistical challenge, but our virtual Festival of Learning has demonstrated quite convincingly how technology can overcome that challenge. One of the clear benefits of being part of a large trust is the vast amount of experience contained within it. By developing online opportunities for collaboration, we can really make the most of that.

“We are now exploring more options for online learning, including broadcasting of expert knowledge sessions for educational professionals across Wellspring and beyond. Professional generosity is an important part of our charitable purpose and we are committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise to benefit all. The opportunity for increased online sharing and CPD within MATs and the education sector as a whole is a really exciting prospect.”

Wellspring’s Festival of Learning was held on 12 February and attendees benefited from workshops on a huge variety of subjects ranging from behaviour management approaches to how to best use the Google Education platform. A keynote speech was delivered to all by Jaz Ampaw-Farr before attendees than joined their chosen four sessions throughout the course of the day.

Wellspring currently manages 25 schools, with that figure set to grow significantly over the next few years. It operates in mainstream primary and secondary, as well as having extensive experience in delivering special and alternative provision. Wellspring also manages a portfolio of complementary services, include mental health support services, community projects for young adults with special needs, and a host of training and consultancy services around behaviour management in schools.

The first in a series of teaching aids published today focusses on the COVID vaccine and tackles head on conspiracy theories that have led to limited uptake in some communities. Immunisation coverage for all routine childhood vaccinations has declined in England by 0.2-1% between 2017-18 and 2018-19

Teachers and researchers say this is in part caused by confusing information and unfounded conspiracy theories about vaccines.

The Stephen Hawking Foundation has joined forces with a school in one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country and leading research institutions, Queen Mary University of London and the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (LSHTM), to devise simple and accurate materials aimed at enabling young people to better understand and question the role of vaccinations.

The programme is the brainchild of Ed Stubbs, a secondary school teacher at Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets, East London, who became concerned at a growing sense of fear in the classroom about vaccinations and the prevalence of ill-informed conspiracy theories.

Mr Stubbs said: “As a teacher previously working in inner-city Liverpool, and now in London, I have noticed students becoming increasingly fearful of vaccination. Some of my students and their families refuse their school vaccinations. I hear incorrect, and ‘conspiracy’ information shared in my classroom. I fear that students’ real and fictional concerns increase UK vaccine hesitancy.

“The charged and often accusatory debate about vaccination choices can make young people feel hesitant about voicing their concerns and seeking help in debunking false information. They fear critical judgement over their doubts.  I decided to create a set of unbiased resources for use in schools.”

The partnership with the Stephen Hawking Foundation and LSHTM’s Vaccine Confidence Project has produced learning materials which can be downloaded for free from their and the Queen Mary University of London websites.

The resources support the Stephen Hawking Foundation’s goal to encourage science education.  It also builds on Professor Hawking’s family links with the research centre as Professor Hawking’s father was a researcher at LSHTM.

Lucy Hawking, Chair of the Stephen Hawking Foundation’s Trustees, said: “We are so pleased by this collaboration, which aims to help young people gain a better understanding of immunisation programmes. We are dedicated to encouraging young people to engage with science. This important project aims to encourage school children to think about vaccine research and the progress in this field which is key to saving lives.”

Professor Heidi Larson, Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, said: “I feel teachers are ideally placed to combat the UK’s falling vaccination rates. This programme has been carefully calibrated to include the insights of some of the leading scientists in this field but to make the information accessible to people of all ages and communities.”

An immunologist from Queen Mary University of London, doctors, primary school specialists, teachers and students from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and a prominent member of the Somali community have also fed in to the teaching materials.

The resources are designed to promote critical thinking, ask big questions and provide reliable, well sourced information to help school age students investigate complex issues regarding science and society within a classroom setting. The vaccine project is the first of a projected series of such initiatives.

For more information, please go to Vaccines – The Stephen Hawking Foundation

Already trusted by many Scottish schools and local authorities including Edinburgh and Inverclyde, ClickView was selected to host and stream the National e-Learning Partnership’s West OS pre-recorded content, providing a secure and reliable vehicle to share a growing bank of over 1000 valuable, teacher recorded videos, with schools across Scotland.

In addition to this, the National e-Learning Partnership agreed with ClickView to offer all schools across Scotland the opportunity to have full use of its high-quality curriculum aligned content to supplement and extend the West OS provision. The three-month agreement valued at nearly £500k is currently being offered until the end of March, to support schools through lockdown.

Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, said, “Schools and practitioners are working hard to develop and deliver remote learning across the country. It’s fantastic that practitioners in Scotland now have free access to ClickView’s educational videos to provide additional support for the work they are doing locally at this time. Complementing the National e-Learning offer, this further strengthens the overall national offer of support for remote learning.”

Michael Wilkinson, managing director of ClickView, said, “As lockdown continues, the majority of teachers are finding it increasingly hard to motivate their students. Today’s students’ preferred format of information consumption is video. Curriculum aligned video-based learning content brings together movement and noise to convey an efficient message and capture their attention.

“ClickView and the National e-Learning Partnership encourage all schools to take up this offer to help them through the current challenges of remote learning. This doesn’t just mean learning can continue outside of physical classrooms, but provides the opportunity to revitalise traditional education practices, putting transformative world-class resources at their fingertips, for meaningful experiences at all levels of learning.”

John Stuart, workstream lead officer at the West Partnership, said, “We are delighted that West OS is hosted on ClickView because it provides the ideal platform for learners and school staff in Scotland to access on demand, high quality educational content as part of the National e-Learning Offer. ClickView’s current offer of free access to their educational videos until the end of March, complements the continually growing bank of West OS content to provide excellent support for remote learning.”

To find out more, visit Clickview.co.uk.