Education Today Education Today Magazine
As schools close their doors to the majority of pupils for the second time, The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), has put together a range of support measures to help teachers deliver remote learning.
Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA said: “During the first national lockdown BESA members provided over £30m of free support and resources to schools. We don’t expect that our members will be able to offer the same level of free support this time around, so we are directing schools to three initiatives that will help them identify the products and services for remote learning that are recommended by their peers, so that they can put in place the measures they need as quickly as possible.”
Firstly, the LendED platform is an online tool offering teachers the opportunity to search, select and trial education technology resources for free, to determine their suitability before committing to purchase. As additional support, BESA have worked with their member companies to offer a wide range of additional resources that are specifically designed to support home learning. LendED has the full support of the Department for Education and was included in their list of recommended remote learning tools. All resources on the LendED platform have been provided by BESA members, trusted suppliers who have signed up to the BESA Code of Practice, so schools can be confident in their quality and service.
BESA has also released access to video recordings of the recent LearnED Online CPD event, which took place in November. LearnED brings together teachers from around the regions to share best practice and deliver peer to peer learning. The November edition focused on the challenges of delivering remote learning and featured case studies and panel discussions which highlight those schools and teachers who have managed the process well, and offers support for any educator looking for guidance. The videos can be accessed for free via LearnED.org.uk
In August BESA published a report on Learning after Lockdown that featured school case studies on the products and services that they had found useful during the first lockdown, and signposted additional measures that schools might want to consider as they started the new academic year. The lessons learned the first time around serve as a good signpost for any school looking for a starting point, and covers key areas such as blended learning, mental health, safeguarding and wellbeing. The pack can be downloaded free from the BESA website.
