C4DI-based startup and educational platform Good2Learn is working with Hull City Council to provide digital learning to children in care across the city.
"We are working with the council to give around 200 young people, who are classed as 'Looked After children', access to our online lessons and interactive exercises," Paul Mandalia, Founder of Good2Learn explains.
Looked after children - also referred to as children in care - are any children who have been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours. Each UK country has a different definition, but generally, this group includes those living with foster parents, in a residential children's home or another setting, like a school or a secure unit.
According to UK children's charity NSPCC: “Most children in care say that their experiences are good and that it was the right choice for them. But more needs to be done to ensure that all looked after children are healthy, safe and have the same opportunities as their peers in order to move successfully into adulthood.”
It is Hull City Council's responsibility to ensure these children are offered the same level of education as their peers and this is where Good2Learn comes in.
Good2Learn is a subscription-based service with short, bite-sized video lessons that have been written and designed by teachers and education specialists. After each lesson, the child completes an exercise and their progress is tracked for parents, guardians and schools to see.
"Hull City Council loved that our lessons are based on knowledge, rather than age group. While they follow the national KS2 curriculum, they can be used by anyone of any age to brush up on specific topics," Paul adds.
"For example, year 7 and 8 pupils can log in and catch up on any areas of English or maths they may have missed or fallen behind in."
Good2Learn has worked with children, their teachers and educational specialists to design curriculum-based lessons.
Good2Learn empowers children to learn at their own pace, in their own space and the tool can be used on any device - from a desktop computer to smartphones and tablets. This means lessons can be viewed and exercises completed in the classroom or at home.
"Alongside working with children in care, we're also looking into offering our service to children's hospitals and schools on British military bases."
The idea for Good2Learn was born out of the frustration felt by parents and children when it comes to completing homework tasks. Now, thanks to its flexibility and usability, the concept has blossomed to help young people catch up with their peers and learn in their own environment.
Good2Learn is a multi-award-winning online educational platform that supports KS2 learning, with some overlap into KS3, helping young people to reinforce their maths and English. The dynamic platform uses tailored, simple-to-use, detailed analysis, providing schools and local authorities with the essential tools to bridge the gap in pupils attainment targets.
Find out more and sign up for a free 14-day trial on the Good2Learn website.