The Blog

“How to store Sunlight.” The chance for teachers  to see the latest developments in renewable energy that can be incorporated into school STEM cross curricular lesson plans.
FREE Technical Workshop on Renewable Energies with special focus on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology.
Heliocentris, leaders in innovative training solutions based on hydrogen fuel cell technology for science classes and [...]

The annual round of GCSE and A level education exam results and criticism is amongst us.  We have seen the usual clutch of criticism of the improved results with claims that much has to do with easier exams than improved intelligence – unless you are the child or teacher involved.  And claims from universities reveal [...]

The recession hits us all and recent rises in student educational fees has meant after Mum and Dad have taken a loan to  pay the initial tuition  fees many students are learning how to earn cash to support themselves. But sometimes this is at the expense of attending lectures.
A recent survey revealed some interesting facts [...]

As a child I recall being simultaneously intrigued and frustrated by the constant “Back to school” advertisements that sprang up all over the High Street. Being on school holidays I did not need some retailer to remind me of the future gloom that lay just around the corner.
Whether the advert had an educational link [...]

The results are out. The culmination of a 10 year  educational journey to get to A level standard will be announced today. And a record 200,000 children are to get that sinking feeling when their grades don’t stack up to get a place in university.
The record number of disappointments is a combination of recessionary effects. [...]

The standard of education in Finland has been instrumental in their success as the top place to live according to a survey by Newsweek.
The Department for Education has also cited the exemplary educational system  based in Finland as a shining example of what can be achieved. Key difference is the starting age, where children [...]

The usual predicament for grandparents, uncles and aunts is what present to buy  grandchildren nieces and nephews who has a birthday – or Christmas  looming up. You want to buy a sensible present that helps at school and does not comprise of four kgs of home assembly plastic. You want it to last, have educational [...]

Every child likes to pass GCSE and A level exams to demonstrate ability, recognition of a job well done in school and as a precursor to a job in industry or place in university. But many observers believe we are lowering the educational relevance by playing games with the standards. In advance of the results [...]

The results of this year’s SAT’s show the reading ability of children at primary school level is still declining overall. Apart from issues within the school and the “Teaching to Test” syndrome a further key influence is the reluctance of parents towards reading stories and engaging in conversation with children. Their English language skills are [...]

The annual SAT’s, end of year exams, GCSE and A levels are a distant memory.  Time to relax, take off and enjoy the summer holiday.  Playing educational travel games is a great way to have fun during those long journeys by car, train, boat or plane.
Educational travel games are available in many forms.  Playing cards, [...]

Employers are looking for Graduates with work experience. To stand out from the crowd  69 per cent of graduates say it  helps with their job applications, and   34  per cent  take up volunteering to enhance their  application and chances of a getting employment.  The positive response of enticing children into university to complete their education [...]

University Graduates applying for their first job are discovering some tough competition. The final part of their education  is to realise the  increased number of graduates and  economic situation  conspire to make employment a trial. Work experience is becoming a key differentiator in the eyes of employers. Vodaphone is running a scheme to help successful [...]

The latest SAT’s results reveal a further decline in reading standards at primary school level. Falling for the third year in a row how can we stop the slide in this essential ability to progress in education.
Shrouded in a bewildering cloud  of statistics, perhaps proving  numeric skills are just as important, the Department for [...]

The SAT’s are out and show the usual confusion of claims, counter claims and criticisms.  Headline results imply improvements in our primary resources in Maths and English. Schools Minister Nick Gibb congratulated pupils and teachers on the results – and defended externally verified test. He, also warned that there were still too many pupils failing [...]

The coincidence of today’s publication of SAT’s results along with the teacher assessment has been said will create confusion with too much information being released at once.
Critics are accusing the Department for eduction (DfE) of reasoning an overload of information that could confuse. Frankly if  my child was at a failing school I would prefer [...]

The annual round of educational exam criticism is imminent. The August result games are about to start. Exam results will be published with positive accolades from parents believing them to be a true measure of our teaching resources. Schools will defend their lot citing improved schooling and learning capacity of children. Yet howls of criticism [...]

Michael Gove’s plan to entice schools to become academies and take greater charge in their own affairs seems to be stalling. The 750 applications from schools has resulted in only 50 state schools being ready for the September start.
Schools are saying their request  for an information  pack has been counted as an application. Keen2learn believed  [...]

Keen2learn has voiced previous opinion on the essential educational value of learning the Queen’s English.  An amalgam of many languages incorporated over the centuries it’s amazingly resilience is under threat from its growing global usage. A new society is being formed to protect the structure of English literacy.
The international use of English makes it [...]

Foreign Secretary William Hague recently announced he is reviewing the UK’s foreign policy to develop new strategic partners overseas. These medium to long-term objectives need to be integrated in the educational policies and teaching resources of the national curriculum.  After all, those responsible for the effective follow through of foreign policy are probably in school [...]

Pagabo the home educational revision system  is seen as a real alternative to traditional print based revision guides. Stuffed full of educational games this on-line system learning platform provides children with a stimulating and challenging way to learn and revise. The single subscription fee of £29.99 allows access by the whole family for a [...]

The school holidays create  real quality time opportunities with the children. To help deal with the inevitable “Mum I’m bored” and “Are we there yet?” bursts of enthusiasm from the kids, keen2lean has a number of educational travel games ready to hand. Some are ideal for that glass case marked “break glass in an emergency.”
Those [...]

Cost, storage, and disposal of used chemicals  have impacted on science education in schools. But now physics, chemistry and biology in the classroom have have learnt a lesson from the subject itself. The latest science teaching resources have been miniaturised without losing any impact in the effectiveness of the curriculum. Saving storage space, cleaning time [...]

For some time educational games website www.keen2learn.co.uk  have offered  educational software to help children understand and compose music. These music games are now joined by a range of musical  instruments to help children in school, nursery and at home  learn how to make and enjoy  music.
Our budding composers and musicians of tomorrow are in school [...]

Possibly no great surprise that the recession has bitten into the five billion pounds school’s rebuilding programme. Of equal concern is the further one billion pounds to be trimmed from general teaching resources.  Is there anything left of Labour’s grand educational dream to improve our schools?
There’s not a lot left to show of Tony Blair’s [...]

Maths educational lessons at school teach children that their lives will be heavily influenced by the laws of averages.  They have application in virtually all aspects of our lives. So why has it come as a shock when these laws reveal the number of incompetent teachers operating in our schools?
There are around 450,000 FTE (full [...]

A vast reserve army of teaching resources lies largely untapped.  Although our mainstream schools employ around 450,000 (full time equivalent) teachers there are 7.5 million parents of school-age children. The historic impasse towards capturing this huge additional educational resource lies in how best to mobilise parents. Playing educational games at home and school has helped [...]

If the UK is to compete effectively in world markets the introduction of greater international content in the educational key stages of the curriculum is surely a necessity.  But for years our state schools have been reluctant to grab this opportunity.
Counter arguments certainly exist within the teaching fraternity. Some say the IGCSE is more rigorous [...]

Teaching resources are being drained by expensive corporate software says Tristan  Ashman. The  question is do we need it all? The level of sophistication  far exceeds the real needs of the educational classroom. If we are brutally honest do we really need it; have we become overcome by hype? If we stuck to blackboards just [...]

Getting children to think and develop their reasoning skills is sometimes like climbing a mountain – where do you start. Keen2learn have introduced a great new educational product  designed as  literacy games to help children, parents and teachers tackle new concepts in a range of subjects.
Thinking Dice is a brand new fun product to [...]

Revising for a GCSE exam or SAT test  is generally seen as a chore by school children. Swatting through textbooks and exercise books can be boring and tedious. Parents and teachers can do little but urge children along. But the process can now be turned into a series of fun educational games.
Keen2learn had just teamed [...]