The DoodleLearning Spring Challenge encourages children to practise maths and English for just a few minutes each day using Doodle’s award-winning learning programmes.

Last year’s seasonal Doodle challenges saw record participation, with over 55,700 children joining in. The 2026 Spring Challenge will run from 1st to 30th April, making it perfect for promoting learning during the Easter school holidays. Children who earn 450 stars and use the apps for seven days will receive a pin badge and certificate as rewards.

To help families take part in the challenge, Discovery Education is giving parents a two-week free trial of DoodleMaths and DoodleEnglish plus 10% off any subscription. This free access offer runs until 30th April 2026 and parents can sign up at: doodlelearning.com/challenge-promotion using the code 2WKS_26.

Schools can also take part by booking a free 15 minute chat with the Doodle team: teachers.doodlelearning.com/schools-book-consultation.

Maddy Austin, UK Product Manager at Discovery Education, said: “We’re delighted to offer parents free access to our award-winning Doodle apps through the popular Spring Challenge. Focusing on key areas of maths and English, our apps deliver personalised learning experiences that boost each child’s confidence and skills while fostering their natural curiosity.”

One of the schools that took part last year was Ysgol Bryn Hedydd Primary School in Rhyl. Deputy Headteacher Scott Roberts said: “Our students relished the opportunity to engage with Doodle’s challenges. The Spring Challenge proved to be great – maintaining our pupils’ enthusiasm and commitment towards accessing Doodle at home.”

Part of the Discovery Education family of services, the DoodleMaths and DoodleEnglish apps are designed to be used ‘little and often’, both at home and in the classroom. Using the latest educational technology, the apps make learning a fun and rewarding experience that enhances pupil confidence.

Designed to be used for just 10 minutes a day, Discovery Education’s DoodleMaths and DoodleEnglish use the latest advances in learning and motivational psychology to raise attainment and boost confidence in maths and English. Giving children a personalised learning programme tailored to their needs, the apps are proven to boost confidence and ability. Filled with thousands of interactive exercises, they explore numeracy and literacy in a fun, approachable way, giving children core skills they can use in the classroom and beyond.

A study by the University of Bath showed that children who use DoodleMaths for 20 minutes a week are four times less likely to experience learning loss than their peers. Research also found that using Doodle ‘little and often’ doubles a child’s rate of progression.

Available via Discovery Education’s award-winning DoodleLearning app and daily learning platform Espresso, , the tools and resources include special features to engage and support pupils with dyslexia – while raising awareness of neurodiversity and how it affects young people.

Dyslexia Awareness Week is an annual event organised by the British Dyslexia Association. The 2024 theme, ‘What’s Your Story?’, invites people to share their experiences of dyslexia – to raise awareness and challenge misconceptions.

Discovery Education has provided primary schools with a range of high-quality resources within Espresso, including:

• New Dyslexia Awareness Week Lessons: exploring how dyslexia affects young people
• Classroom Activities: helping children see dyslexia differently
• Discussion Prompts: deepening pupils’ understanding of dyslexia

Additional high-quality digital resources from Discovery Education that support learners with dyslexia include:

• DoodleLearning by Discovery Education, with a range of features to remove barriers to learning. The award-winning apps use visual explanations to explore topics in Maths and English. They also have a built-in audio dictation tool to enable pupils to listen to questions and concept explanations and learn at their own pace. Supporting visual, auditory and kinaesthetic approaches to learning, DoodleLearning gives each child a personalised programme of work, perfectly pitched to their individual needs.
• Espresso by Discovery Education, with multiple accessibility features, including an immersive reader tool. Bite-sized video content helps pupils access learning in different ways, while audio dictation lifts learning off the page for learners with dyslexia.

Lizzy Lambley, Discovery Education’s UK Head of Production said: “Discovery Education is proud to provide these tools and resources to support primary schools during Dyslexia Awareness Week and beyond. With this high-quality content, teachers are empowered to engage all pupils, opening doorways to learning for every child.”

National Poetry Day is an annual event that encourages people to read, write, experience and share poetry. Featuring well-known poets such as Joseph Coelho  and Benjamin Zephaniah, Discovery Education’s new National Poetry Day resources will inspire pupils to discover, share and enjoy many different types of poetry, from traditional rhymes and free verse to Japanese Haiku and dub.

Discovery Education’s new poetry resources include:

• Poetry Videos:Bringing poetry to life for pupils to enjoy
• Short Poems:To read aloud, with classroom discussion prompts
• Poetry Activities: To help children discover and understand a wide range of poems
• Mini Poetry Lessons:Lifting poetry off the page, differentiated by Key Stage
• Classroom Inspiration:Ideas for marking National Poetry Day in schools

Lizzy Lambley, Discovery Education’s UK Head of Production said: “Discovery Education is proud to support National Poetry Day by providing teachers with engaging resources that will  inspire children’s love of poetry. Poetry has so many benefits for children. It improves reading and writing, opens doors to cultural awareness and supports emotional literacy, and most importantly, poetry can help students make sense of the world around them in new ways.”

The National Poetry Day resources are available to Discovery Education subscriber schools via Discovery Education Espresso. A curriculum-centred daily learning platform, Discovery Education Espresso includes a wide range of poetry resources and activities that support teaching throughout the year.

Available via Discovery Education’s award-winning digital learning service Espresso, the carefully curated content – which includes regularly updated news bulletins, videos and interactives – provides high-quality digital content schools can use to engage young people with democracy after the general election and beyond.

In Espresso News Bites – the award-winning news service produced in partnership with ITN Productions – teachers can access daily and weekly news bulletins. From exploring how a general election works to understanding the recent transition of power, Espresso News Bites covers the latest news stories in a dynamic, engaging and age-appropriate way.

In Espresso News in Focus, pupils can take a more in-depth look at news stories and topical events. New government and democracy resources include:

• What Does a Prime Minister Do? – looking at the role of the UK PM
• What Happened in the 2024 General Election? – explaining democracy in action
• New Government Gets to Work – exploring recent events in the UK Parliament

Elsewhere in Espresso, teachers can access a whole raft of videos, activities and interactives on the subject of political process and democracy, supporting the teaching of British Values and Citizenship at KS1 and KS2.

Lizzy Lambley, Discovery Education’s UK Head of Production, said: “In this general election year, many children have become interested in the political process for the first time. We’re proud to provide UK primary schools with these engaging digital resources to nurture their curiosity and teach them about the workings of government and democracy.”

Discovery Education’s resources are available to subscriber schools via Espresso, the daily learning service for primary schools.

With more than 38,000 students and 4000 staff members spread over two campuses, HAN is focused on educating aspiring students to help meet the continually changing needs of society. It works closely with industry partners in the region to help students become versatile working professionals.

As part of its 2022-2028 Institutional Plan, HAN wants to establish a hybrid learning environment which includes a blend of in-person and online learning as well as work-based or vocational training for all its students. By the end of 2027, students will have the opportunity to choose a student pathway that suits their own personal ambitions and development.

“Our goal has always been to provide robust Lifelong Development (LLD) options for all of our students and to establish ourselves as an LLD leader as a result,” said René Tönissen at HAN University of Applied Sciences. “However, our previous digital learning environment was holding us back, as it couldn’t deliver the flexible and modular education tools that we required. We needed a platform that could support our blended learning goals, allowing us to add certain functionalities or tailor applications depending on the course, across each of our academies.”

Prior to selecting Brightspace, HAN’s digital tools and applications were stored across various systems, which opposed HAN’s desire for uniformity and standardisation. Furthermore, the end-user experience was poor because students and lecturers found it hard to locate information or course content.

“At HAN, we value the end-user experience,” continued René Tönissen at HAN. “Following our extensive tender process, Brightspace came out on top, as it allows our content to be easily shared and accessed to address everyone’s learning or research needs. The fact that the platform integrates easily with so many applications enables us to tailor content for each of our academies. With Brightspace, I am confident that we can achieve our goal of creating the best blended learning experience.”

Lecturers and students at HAN can now access course content through one portal. With the added applications, Brightspace can help support each academy’s specific learning goals.

“We are honoured to work with HAN University of Applied Sciences as it strives to set the standard for blended learning courses in the region,” said Stewart Watts, Managing Director EMEA, D2L. “It’s great to work with a customer that’s looking to create something new, especially when that customer also recognises the role technology can play when it comes to establishing first-class learning experiences. We look forward to supporting HAN on this exciting journey ahead.”

Implementation of D2L Brightspace began in August 2023, and the full rollout is expected by September 2025 across both campuses.

For this year’s campaign, Builder Book has partnered with PuzzleDuck to create an immersive new smartphone app that will take children and families on an adventure around Liverpool’s waterfront and Knowledge Quarter to find clues that will educate them about various sustainable themes, including fashion and construction, with a particular focus on food poverty and the benefits of homegrown food.

Combining the app with Builder Book’s creative learning pack, young people will develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, while exploring their surroundings and applying their new knowledge to the world in which they live.

As a joint venture, authors Natalie Reeves Billing and Jude Lennon, have designed, created, and delivered over 25,000 Builder Book packs across the Liverpool City Region since it began in 2020.

Each year it focuses on a different theme including creativity, mental health, Eurovision and now sustainability.

This year’s Builder Book Planet Pack was launched on Thursday, May 23, 2024, during an event at The Printroom UK in Bootle. Builder Book partners and dignitaries attended and watched the printing of the carbon-neutral literacy packs before being distributed to 10,000 young people across Merseyside and Flintshire.

Natalie Reeves Billing, co-founder of Builder Book, emphasises the importance of changing the narrative around reading for young people: “Young people are missing out on the joy and value of reading and learning, and we must change that narrative.

“By providing an innovative opportunity for young people to learn and feel involved in something, all while getting them to read more, we will see an uplift in mental wellbeing as well as supporting the educational needs of disadvantaged young people.

“With the recent cost of living crisis, families have looked at alternatives when it comes to feeding the family, and this year’s Builder Book has focused especially on this to support understanding around food poverty and different options to support this.”

Recent statistics from the National Literacy Trust have highlighted the urgency of this initiative.

Despite the UK achieving its highest-ever literacy rating, ranking 4th internationally in 2023, a concerning 56% of children and young people aged 8-18 do not find pleasure in reading.

This is heightened locally, where the attainment is lower within the Liverpool City Region than the English average across all Key Stages.

Nick Small, founder and director of Social Impact Consulting, explained the impact a project such as Builder Book can have: “Builder Book’s Planet Pack is a project that will deliver a positive social impact.

“We project that for every £1 invested in Planet Pack, £11.97 of wider social value will be delivered to communities across the wider Liverpool City Region.”

Builder Book is supported by 30 partners, including headline sponsor, The Printroom UK, Adore Group, Everton in the Community, LJMU, Exceptional Care Ltd, HD Creative and Moore Media, who have generously donated financial contributions, practical assistance, and in-kind time. Also in attendance was Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Mark Blundell; Liverpool Lord Mayor, Cllr Richard Kemp; the Mayor of Sefton, Cllr June Burns; and Builder Book ambassador, Simon O’Brien, from Channel 4’s Find it, Fix it, Flog it.

BAFTA Award winning TV presenter and actor Simon O’Brien, who is also the walking and cycling commissioner for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said at the launch: “Builder Book’s latest initiative to educate young people about sustainability, focusing on food and self-sufficiency, is incredibly timely. Today’s youth are increasingly aware of the challenges we face and are always looking for new alternatives. I am proud to support Builder Book and champion this important cause. ”

Planet Packs will be rolled out across schools and community centres in the Liverpool City Region and Deeside, with provisions for a Welsh language option to offer wider access to the project.

The game introduces primary aged children (7-11yr olds) to the basics of online safety in a fun and interactive way. Four to six players compete to make their way across the game board, in an online safety quest. Along the way, players respond to various situations described on the games’ ‘Online Safety Scenario’ cards, and are reminded about ways to stay safe by reading out the game’s ‘Online Safety Pledge’ cards.

Scenarios highlight situations children may well face in their real, every day, digital lives, for example, ‘While playing a game someone asks you for your real name. What is the safe thing to do?’. These are paired with advice on how to be a responsible digital explorer, ‘I will be a good online friend by respecting others’ feelings and ideas’.

Players try to land on bonus spaces on the game board, such as  ‘Reported bullying – move forward 2 spaces’, while dodging penalty spots – ‘No Wi-Fi – Miss a go’. This downloadable game features a game board illustrated with LGfL’s stylized graphics, card packs and additional blank card templates so children can add their own content to the game.

For more information and to download the game, please visit https://digitalexplorers.lgfl.net

The Department for Education (DfE) introduced the accreditation scheme in response to the rapid growth of the online education services sector, as well as the growth of alternative provision, which marked an increase in the last academic year[i]. The scheme aims to reassure children, caregivers, schools, and local authorities of the quality of education and safeguarding arrangements offered by accredited providers.

Academy21 offers best-in-class online education providing students with the unique experience of live instruction and adaptive teaching, which helps to develop relationships and build students’ confidence. The school’s Ofsted reports can now be accessed via the ‘Get Information about Schools’ (GIAS) website as an accredited provider.

The DfE report highlights the “culture of high ambition and high expectations” evident at Academy21 and lauds the school’s “driven focus to provide the best online provision possible for the pupils they serve”. In particular, the report notes that the positive learning environment and approaches taken by the school enable students to gain confidence, progress academically and, in many cases, successfully reintegrate back into their school or other educational placements.

Alessandro Capozzi, Executive Head at Academy21 (pictured left), said: “We’re really proud to be the first Online AP in the UK to receive this recognition from the Department for Education (DfE). We’re committed to providing students with an exceptional education that caters to each individual child’s needs, and we welcome a scheme that recognises the vital role of quality online education in empowering students with additional needs or challenging circumstances.”

The report notes: “A significant strength of Academy21 is the strategic direction, focus and oversight the executive teams at Inspired Education. There are very high levels of accountability – alongside similar levels of support. Central teams including, for example, experts in safeguarding, finance, technological development and curriculum provide additional expertise to support ongoing improvements.

“Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge alongside a secure understanding of the technical knowledge and skills needed to operate within an online environment. The positive learning environment they create promote pupils’ confidence and this has an important impact on the progress they go on to make.”

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are proud to have Academy 21 as a valued ASCL partner and are delighted that it has received a very positive report from Ofsted under the Online Education Accreditation Scheme. This accreditation scheme is an important initiative in the growing field of online education services and provides vital assurance to children, parents and local authorities of the quality of education and safeguarding arrangements. Academy 21 provides fantastic support to some of the education system’s most vulnerable students and its values closely align with ASCL’s mission to act on behalf of children and young people.”

As approved providers on many local authority frameworks, Academy21 works in partnership with over 900 schools and over 140 Local Authorities to provide quality, innovative and inclusive fully live online education in a supportive environment that enables students with additional needs or challenging circumstances to reconnect with learning and move successfully onto the next phase in their education.

For more information on the scheme, visit here.

It has been proven that providing flexible learning with accessible devices can significantly enhance student learning and help bridge the digital divide. To support this approach, institutions are loaning devices to students and automating this process with Smart Lockers. To accommodate this approach, Smart Lockers need to be seamless and fast, so that learning time isn’t compromised.

LapSafe®’s newest Smart Locker, named Envoy® is designed to support just that. Up to 32 charged devices can each be rapidly deployed by scanning an ID at the easy-to-use reader. Once authorised, a locker bay will open to a charged device, ready for the student to use.

Once the student has finished with the device, they simply place it back on charge in the Smart Locker, ready for the next user. This fast, self-service process is efficient and pragmatic.

Marketing Director, Denise Crouch said “We wanted to design a Smart Locker that provides a perfect entry into the world of self-service for IT equipment. The Envoy is built on the foundation of our larger, more advanced Smart Locker, Diplomat Pro. However, the Envoy is a more cost-effective solution for entities which do not require all the intelligent features that our Diplomat Pro holds.”

Included in the new Envoy Smart Locker is ONARKEN®, an intelligent cloud-based management software, designed to support LapSafe®’s Smart Locker range; this software allows Envoy to provide full audit trails and usage reporting, helping organisations make more informed decisions on device management.

The Envoy® is the perfect entry into the world of self-service Smart Lockers for IT equipment. However, for entities which require a more sophisticated solution, LapSafe® Diplomat Pro is the only all-in-one smart locker solution that offers loaning of assets, drop off and collect, IT break/fix and Hot lockers.

Smart Locker Key Benefits

• Enhances student learning and productivity.
• Saves valuable space.
• Increased device control and security.
• Saves time and resources.
• Positive impact on IT budget.
• Environmentally Friendly.

Smart Lockers have an array of benefits which have elevated many entities. On the LapSafe® website, a selection of case studies from schools, colleges and universities are available, which support how effective these smart solutions are across campuses.

You will now find LapSafe® Smart Lockers in over 80% of UK universities, with UK colleges following closely behind.

www.lapsafe.com
sales@lapsafe.com
0800 130 3456

ViewSonic aims to achieve a 42% reduction in carbon footprint by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Other key initiatives within the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy include aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 4, 12, and 15. These goals focus on providing equitable quality education for all, ensuring responsible product life cycles, and promoting the restorative management of ecosystems.

“We believe that technological advancement and environmental stewardship can and must go hand in hand.” said Clifford Chen, General Manager of the Presentation Group at ViewSonic. ” As a leader in the Interactive Display market, this represents a pivotal step towards a more sustainable and responsible future in the technology sector. It’s a testament to our unwavering dedication to environmental and social responsibility.”

In the pursuit of reducing environmental impact, ViewSonic’s series of ViewBoard interactive displays are designed with recycled materials and incorporate energy-saving features. The Carbon Footprint of ViewBoards has fallen by up to 24.43% compared to the previous generation. These interactive displays are registered with EPEAT® and certified by ENERGY STAR® 8.0, signifying that the devices meet high environmental performance criteria for product longevity, circular design, and energy efficiency. Each ViewBoard also comes with a comprehensive report detailing its carbon emissions and overall environmental footprint.

Energy Conservation
Engineered to minimize power consumption without compromising performance, our interactive displays feature various modes designed to reduce carbon footprint. In Energy-Saving Mode, the device automatically powers down when no signal is received for a specific amount of time. After an hour of inactivity, it enters Stand-By Mode through an Eco-mode setting. For scheduled poweron-and-offs, users can customize their preferred times using Manager Advanced. To access more information about the overall power consumption of our devices and for more precise savings, users can utilize ViewSonic’s Energy Savings Calculator.

Product Longevity
Prioritizing longevity and serviceability, ViewBoards are designed with a modular and upgradable framework, enabling easy component replacement, and accommodating technological advancements without the need to discard the entire unit. For instance, users can enhance their interactive displays by incorporating a slot-in PC to extend the product lifecycle or accessorize with sensors to reduce overall power consumption.

This forward-thinking approach not only extends the product lifecycle but also fosters a circular economy by encouraging the reuse and repurposing of materials. Through the Recycle and Disposal Program, which allows users to return obsolete devices directly to ViewSonic, we responsibly collect, recycle, and dispose of these devices, minimizing environmental harm and maximizing the reusability of materials for newer models.

Social Impact
ViewSonic will participate in various technology tradeshows, including BETT 2024 in London, United Kingdom, from January 24th to 26th, 2024, and ISE 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, from January 30th to February 2nd. The aim is to raise awareness about sustainable technology in educational institutions and corporate environments. Through this participation, the company hopes to actively engage with these sectors to encourage the adoption of devices that are environmentally conscious, promoting a positive impact on the planet.

For more information about ViewSonic’s ethos on sustainability, please visit ViewSonic ESG website.

www.viewsonic.com