Keen2learn News, Reviews and Updates

The recent launch of the £300 million Home Access educational scheme, although specifically aimed to provide  poorer families  with free laptops, has overall application to all families. The educational benefits of schooling support at home can result in a two grade improvident in school.
Linking parents on- line with their child’s achievement and progress in class [...]

Bunja is based on an MP3 player that fits into the palm of your hand. But that belies the fantastic range of maths games that can be played. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division games can be played, in the car, on the bus, at home and in the classroom. And if you get 10 answers [...]

Barnaby Lenon, the Headteacher of Harrow School recently accused many state schools of persuading children to pursue worthless qualifications for the sake of hitting school targets.  He is especially critical of the unethical tendency to manipulate children from poorer homes.
Comparing worthless qualifications to Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwean currency  carried around a the wheel barrow, he pleaded: [...]

We came across this ancient Chinese proverb which was a real eye opener. Whilst we struggle to improve educational standards in the thick of our technological world we think we are looking through experienced eyes when out of the blue emerges ancient wisdom blinking in the sunlight.
“We educate children for the world we lived in, [...]

Parent support is fundamental to improving the learning process through a  greater awareness of  their child’s progress in school . Using educational games, toys and the internet at home can help children learn in a way that suits them. Having parents alongside gives children constructive support and a great insight into their progress, ability and [...]

The Big Bang Young scientists and Engineers fair kicks off the National Science and Engineering week. Run in association with STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and the National Science Learning centres, this now annual event will be held Manchester Central Convention Complex from 11-13th March 2010. Key day for parents and children is Saturday [...]

Keen2learn is very pleased to support Great Ormond Street children’s hospital  to attempt to establish a Guiness Book of Records challenge. Schools can join the charity from the 26-30 April for a week of Peter Pan themed fundraising activities and a Guinness World Record attempt in aid of the charity. Join thousands of people across the country in [...]

Probably one of the greatest boosts to children’s learning is the help they can get at home. Playing educational games at home with parents  and closer links to the school can help  improve achievement  in class by two grades. The new Home Access scheme announced in January 2010  by the Department for Children Schools and [...]

Many parents are contacting us to enquire about the Home Access educational computer scheme and if they are eligible to get a grant. Becta is handling the scheme on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families DCSF
The following document from Becta explains the procedure and criteria.

Families who have struggled financially to afford a computer and broadband access at home can now apply for a grant. Opening this educational gateway to encourage learning at home holds huge potential benefits to children. The DCSF are to provide funds to supply 270.000 families with home access.
See details of the DCSF Home Access scheme [...]

Keen2learn is adding its weight to a great educational science and engineering event. With under 50 days to go, over 100 children helped organisers of the 2010 Big Bang: UK Young Scientists’ and Engineers’ Fair, launch the programme for the 11-13th March 2010 spectacular in Manchester.
The school children from local Manchester schools launched the [...]

Recent research shows that parents who play educational games with their child at home including educational video games can help increase the child’s performance in school by two grades.
The recent government programme to equip children from poorer families with a laptop computer is designed to allow children access to learning programmes and parent’s dynamic contact [...]

The government have urged the professions to recruit more entrants from state schools. Currently 75 per cent of judges, 70 per cent of finance directors and 45 per cent of civil servants are recruited from fee- paying schools. Yet only 7 per cent of all children go to independent schools!
Quiet an indictment of the schooling [...]

“Warning, this toy can seriously improve your maths”. Although aimed at ages six to 11, my maths was in need of some polishing up, and Bunja was more than happy to oblige. Bunja is a compact nugget of maths knowledge, its purple body housing five bright yellow buttons and a central speaker. A press of [...]

Although a huge number of schools installed interactive whiteboards as the focal teaching resource in the classroom, many are used as a conventional white version of the blackboard with all the electronics turned off. But 3D is about to upgrade the potential.

Sunlight, shadows and equipment failure tend to knock confidence in the interactive whiteboard. [...]

One of the greatest needs of our educational programme  is the provision of   Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). But some issues covered in the curriculum need children to open up and talk about the subjects, which can be difficult. Keen2learn joined forces with a new company to launch a new range of [...]

An amazing shot to the foot has been achieved by Ofsted in criticism  from heads and teaching unions  following the publication of a report into school accountability.
The Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, a cross-party group of MPs, said that England’s inspectorate risks becoming “unwieldy” and “uncoordinated” because of an increase in its responsibilities.
In addition, [...]

David Cameron is to restore the status of teachers as a “noble profession ” in a pledge announced today. He wants to bring the entry level of teachers to that of Finland and Singapore and a minimum 2.2 degree qualifications.
It is fantastic to hear that teachers, who steer the ultimate wealth of the country will [...]

A petition being raised by teachers voices their concerns over the growing educational workload and stress falling upon Head teachers.  Ironically one of the key support areas for children in school is pastoral care.  But with many Head teachers buckling under the load, who looks after their pastoral care?
A time served teacher gains vast experience [...]

The sight of children riding to school in cars begs the question, how fit and healthy are they? Are they playing enough PE games at school? To help induce children to become fit through a lot of  fun take a look at the Children first from the Great Ormond Street children’s hospital. If you want [...]

The current cold weather closed hundreds of schools robbing children of valuable lesson time. But in future this time at home could become  highly constructive in a child’s learning programme . One of the key objective of the Government is get more parents engaged in the schooling programme of their children. A recent survey also [...]

Schools are dropping the international GCSE as the Government does not recognise the qualification. What an indictment of the Government. Is it the word International that scares them?  This new qualification had a lot going for it bringing new dimensions to maths and English, but it needs a chance to bed in. The educational values [...]

Perhaps the biggest concern for parents and teachers is the continuing trend of the UK to be slipping down the world educational league table. We have a limited number of excellent schools and respected teaching resources in both the state and independent sectors, but these are denuded by the significant failure in the bulk of [...]

The government are to give a free laptop computer to 270,000 low income families with school aged children. The idea, part of a £300m investment programme, is to give low income children  access to broadband and computer based learning .
Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said computer teaching resources were now as “essential” as books or [...]

Ed Balls’ educational policies seem to ebb and flow with the tide. Recently he asked schools to save energy costs of around £500m, and claw  unspent cash back left in schools budgets. Whilst we all thought this was a sign of the times and cash was a little short in the government coffers, round three [...]

Schooling is the vital link in the educational programme for children, but just how much have our teaching resources changed over the years? Take a look at the continuing story of Bill Whiting , Chief Executive of B&Q during its substantial global expansion. How much did the 11+ GCSE and secondary schooling help or hinder [...]

Who would want to be a headteacher. Budgets and initiatives arrive in each post with immediate implementation, targets and follow up reports and inspections.
Early December 2009 the DCSF insisted they wanted schools to save £500m on their heating and lighting budget. OK no one saw the freeze coming -especially so inappropriately close to the Copenhagen [...]

Education has been evolving over thousands of years. But if we can educate scholars such as Aristotle in ancient Greece and Copernicus in medieval Poland why do we struggle to achieve an educational programme that is fully fit for purpose in 2010?
Whilst we learn of medical advances that push the boundaries in health care, education [...]

Time is a precious commodity in education. The greatest benefit in learning retention comes with practice yet many parents miss  the opportunity to  play educational games with their children, the greatest of all being  to read stories during their early formative years. At keen2learn we have a  practical example of how story reading can be [...]

May seem a downbeat message for the end of last year, but do stop me if you feel relaxed about any of the following educational headlines that have appeared in “The Times” during December 2009. Maybe this year we will see a turn-around in our schooling standards as our teaching resources desperately need regrouping to [...]