Class Futures Insights: February's Digital Education Breakthroughs
Smartphones, AI Chatbots, Esports Growth, and Online Schools: Unravelling 15 Digital Education Narratives
👋 Hello, it’s Jonathan. Welcome to Class Futures Insights February.
In these newsletters, I curate and compile news and announcements from the digital education sector, encompassing online schools, hybrid learning environments, and other forms of online learning. In the January edition, I featured 15 stories from organisations worldwide. I am progressively incorporating additional commentary and insights to enhance the selected stories.
Smartphone Debate Takes Centre Stage Â
This month, the spotlight is on the pervasive issue of smartphones. Nordic countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have implemented various policies to regulate screens and smartphones in classrooms. Recently, the UK Department for Education provided guidance for headteachers to ban mobile phone use in schools.
However, what has truly captured my attention is the remarkable emergence of a parent-led movement named Smartphone Free Childhood. Initiated as a WhatsApp group by two mums, Daisy Greenwell and Clare Fernyhough, the movement quickly gained momentum. Within hours, it went viral, and by the end of the evening, local groups representing parents from different counties had formed nationwide.
Now boasting a strength of 20,000 members, the movement continues to grow. It is launching a campaign to empower parents, assisting them in making informed decisions to delay providing smartphones to their children.
In America there are already movements which are gaining momentum such as 1000 Hours Outside and Better Screen Time. On
, social psychologist Jon Haidt and research scientist Zach Rausch highlight the psychological and sociological shifts that occurred in the 2010s as social life migrated to platforms created by a few for-profit companies driven to maximise engagement. When I initially joined Facebook, it was on a computer. However, we now find ourselves in a situation where phone manufacturers sell devices pre-loaded and ready to go, without providing any health or safety usage advice suitable for children of any age.What are your thoughts on this debate? Have you, as a parent or educator, had any experiences with children and smartphones? I'm curious to hear your perspective.
As you read on, explore insights into 15 different stories from the digital education sector. The sector is undergoing significant change and transformation, making it crucial for us to learn more about these shifts and stay informed for the future, especially for the benefit of our children.
Jonathan
Bruton Lloyd Online School Launches
Bruton Lloyd, an educational consultancy (unrelated), has recently introduced a Cambridge-accredited online school, focusing on iGCSE and A-level education. Co-founder Anna Kunitsyna reached out to Class Futures to share insights about the launch, stating, 'Our online school opens doors for GCSE and A-level education, offering accessible learning opportunities to pave the way for students to reach top universities in the UK, Europe, and beyond, irrespective of their current location.'
This development is noteworthy, marking another tuition agency's venture into online schooling. I appreciate its specific targeting of GCSE and A-level students. While I lack specific numerical details, monitoring its progress and growth will be intriguing.
As our followers are aware, I strive to depict this growing ecosystem with the updated UK Online School Market graphic below, now featuring TCES National Online School and Bruton Lloyd.
Future-Ready Skills: Chatsworth Schools' Esports Initiative with Sophia High Launches
Chatsworth Schools is pioneering esports education in partnership with Sophia High School through a global hybrid education alliance. This initiative introduces an esports programme aimed at developing leadership skills among children aged 11-16. Sophia High School has been designated as an Esports Trailblazer Centre, offering specialised Level 1 and 2 qualifications that focus on leadership, coaching, management skills, and industry knowledge. The programme, supported by the Leadership Skills Foundation and British Esports, is designed to integrate with BTEC esports courses, providing transferable skills for future careers. In addition to the leadership qualifications, Chatsworth Schools is also providing pupils from Year 4 with the opportunity to join Esports clubs and weekly competitions with the support of Sophia High School and Daigon.
The current surge in interest towards esports, highlighted by its presence at Bett and the introduction of esports BTEC, underscores its potential in enriching school timetables and extracurricular activities. Esports, within a structured and collaborative framework, not only diversifies educational offerings but also promotes critical skills such as teamwork, strategic thinking, and digital literacy. This integration can provide students with engaging pathways and help them build different skills.
Fraser Esports Redefines Education with Online Esports BTEC Launch
James Fraser-Murison, a pioneer in the esports and education sphere, introduces Fraser Esports, launching an online esports BTEC for homeschooled students in the UK and abroad.
As the first to offer this BTEC entirely online, Fraser Esports strategically positions itself at the forefront of esports education, providing a flexible and interactive avenue for global students entering the esports sector.
Insight: Fraser Esports' move underscores the evolving landscape of education, where digital platforms redefine traditional models. This initiative prompts reflection on how esports could reshape learning, offering adaptable pathways for students worldwide.
Unlock Future Skills This Summer: Enroll in School of Humanity's Six-Week Programme
School of Humanity is running a six week summer school with a focus on equipping learners with skills for their future. Learners will tackle a series of challenges and participate in internships whilst receiving industry mentorship. If you are interested and would like to learn more with an introduction to their admissions team, reply to this email. Online summer school is $950 and the hybrid version in Dubai is $1500. You can also benefit from a 20% discount if you book a place before 31st March.Â
School of Humanity has some fantastic links with business so if you are looking for a summer school with a difference, this is worth taking a look at.
Professional Development Webinars With This Is School
This Is School has announced a new series of webinars in collaboration with Heidi Trude who teaches French at Loudoun County Public Schools, USA.
Taking place in February and March, the sessions will provide insight into Heidi's teaching and takeaway tips for teachers to implement in lessons. The next one is on Saturday 24th February on Let's Get Them Talking, and Saturday 2nd March, Linking the Three Modes of Communication to Level Up Language Performance.
This Is School recently underwent a rebranding and launched new courses for Geography. It has a strong emphasis on fun content and it is exciting to see a UK company team up with an American teacher to widen its appeal and reach. Worth checking out if you're a language teacher.
TCES DFE Accredited National Online School Open DaysÂ
TCES is hosting a series of in-person and online events for parents, carers, and professionals throughout March who are interested in learning more about its range of schools and services.
The events are an opportunity to meet the TCES National Online School team and learn more about how it delivers a full curriculum through therapeutic education to support children and young people aged 5 to 25. Often they are not able to access education within an onsite school setting.
If you’re reading this and new to online schooling, virtual open days are a great way of learning more about an organisation’s educational offering and approach. TCES is an Ofsted accredited online school and does a lot of work in the space.
Caterham School Unveils its Pupil ChatBot from Sphinx AI
Sphinx Ai, formerly Caterham School EdTech, launched its AI product called RileyBot at Bett. Riley has been built for specific use in the classroom with inbuilt safeguarding and various levels of protection for use by children who are under 13. If you’re interested in the use of AI in the classroom, it is well worth arranging a demo with the team. Â
I like the fact a school is innovating in this space and developing an AI product. AI literacy is important for pupils to grasp and it is evident a lot of thought is being put into its chatbot called Riley. More work is needed in this area and I am sure the team will be sharing the findings from its use in classrooms.
Mastering Online Teaching: Strategies and Tools for Success
Roxanne Pearce, founder of Canopy Classes, has introduced a new course for teachers involved in online or moving into online teaching. The online course, mastering online teaching, is delivered over 10 hours and covers a variety of areas such as designing online content, assessing student learning and leveraging technology tools. The course is priced at £150 and if you register your interest you can get an early bird discount.
It is encouraging to see this CPD available for online teaching and I’m sure more courses like this will emerge as digital education grows. Roxanne, who has held senior roles at My Online Schooling (acquired by Kings InterHigh) and Wey Education, is highly experienced in this area and for the price, I’d recommend setting up an initial call to find out more if you need some CPD in this area.
Flyp Academy, an online learning platform, has released its new app aimed at helping all students studying for IB Diploma, A-level, GCSE and CBSE exams. The app can be accessed on or offline and has a range of features including revision videos, an AI tutor, social channels to learn with classmates, and exam style questions to try. It even has an interactive online study room where pupils can revise together and ask questions. It is available for download from the Google Play and Apple store.
Admission Open For Next Semester at Downe House Global AcademyÂ
Downe House Global Academy has opened admissions for its next 10-week semester starting on 4th March and running until 10th June. Aimed at students aged 11-14 it runs three lessons a week with Chinese and UK holiday dates incorporated. The price is on enquiry depending on whether pupils choose the full semester or specific 10 week courses.
New Sprint Revision Courses From Rugby School Online
Rugby School Online (RSO) has opened its two day A-level revision courses for Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology in April. The courses are tailored for AQA, Edexcel, OCR (A&B), WJEC (Wales), CCEA (NI), and CAIE, covering the entire A-level syllabus. Pricing per subject starts from £295 and is taught online. It also offers a site licence to schools to join.
As well as a commercial venture, RSO gives away large numbers of free places every year as part of its commitment to outreach and education for everyone. This is such a great model, where a school gives back.
New Global Entrepreneurship Course From Crimson and Penn
Crimson Education has collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education to launch a course in Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The program is about 6 weeks long and 6-8 hours per week and hybrid / virtual. The next cohort starts on 12 March 2024. Some of the modules studied include Creating a Culture of Innovation and Leveraging Artificial Intelligence.
And finally a quick mention for Aimee Bobruk who has launched the first global song writing club for teens called Tuneagers. If you’re a parent and have a child with musical talent, this is definitely worth checking out and signing up to her newsletter.
Job Picks
The Complete Education Solution is recruiting for a Marketing and Communications Manager and Online Tutor. View here.
According to co-founder and CEO of Turing College, Lukas Kaminskis, there are nine open positions. They range from a Head of Growth Marketing to Country Manager roles. View all the roles here.
According to Executive Head, Andrew Howard, Springboard Project is growing and developing new opportunities. It is looking for an inspirational English Teacher to help us strengthen its delivery of English. Details here.
If you’d like details on any of these and a warm introduction, reply to this email.
The one thing you can do to help encourage me to keep writing is the following.
If you’ve found it valuable, please refer a colleague and friend. I have been amazed with the uptake so far and you will be in great company with readers from around the world.
p.s. I also curate a free resource of online learning organisations using Airtable. Thank you to everyone who has submitted to this. Reply to this email if you’d like to include your organisation for free.
