The BBC is to put on 14 weeks of educational programmes and lessons to every child in the country as part of its biggest ever push on education.
The corporation has unveiled details of a newly expanded service that aims to either complement what school are providing remotely, or as a standalone resource.
BBC Bitesize Daily will start on Monday April 20th, the start of the summer term of most children, and includes lessons for children of all ages.
Presenters including Karim Zeroual, Oti Mabuse and Katie Thistleton will be part of Bitesize Daily, which will be filmed in Match of the Day’s studio in Salford.
Teachers will join partners from the worlds of sport, culture and literature – including the Premier League, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Puffin Books – to offer content and activities for both the BBC Bitesize Daily broadcast and BBC Bitesize Online, with more partnerships to be announced in the coming weeks.
BBC Bitesize online will home a new Maths and English lesson for every child every day with more subjects to follow. BBC Bitesize will be the one-stop shop for all the educational resources whether that be podcasts, videos, quizzes or lessons.
Also involved are education providers such as Twinkl and White Rose Maths, the Department of Education in England, the Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive.
Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC, said: “In these uncertain times parents look to the BBC to support them and offer education while children can’t be in school. This is the biggest education effort the BBC has ever undertaken. This comprehensive package is something only the BBC would be able to provide.
“We are proud to be there when the nation needs us, working with teachers, schools and parents to ensure children have access and support to keep their learning going – come what may.”
Full details of the BBC’s education plans
BBC Bitesize Daily
Every day, 6 x 20 min programmes, Bitesize Daily, will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button targeting six age groups, from 5 to 14, where teachers, experts and famous faces cover off what that age group should be learning that day. Each programme will be available on BBC iPlayer as well as having its own regular slot on BBC Red Button aiding routine and daily structure.
From Bitesize Daily, parents and children will be directed online to BBC Bitesize for an age appropriate ‘daily drop’ of specially curated videos, quizzes, podcasts and worksheets to bring to life core curriculum subjects such as Maths, English and Science. As well as being offered suggestions on how to extend learning around the home.
These shows are aimed at all children across the UK and split into age groups 5-7, 7-9, 9-11, 11-12, 12-13 and 13-14.
Bitesize Daily Online
Bitesize Daily Online will deliver a newly created Maths and English lesson every day, for each year group from 1-10. Resources from BBC Bitesize, other parts of the BBC, and trusted education providers, are being brought together to create these easy-to-follow daily lessons in the core subjects. As well as offering resources in Maths, English and Science, parents and children will find resources for other subjects such as history, geography and art.
The online content will also complement the daily broadcast with video, quizzes, infographics and articles that help children build on the learning from each broadcast. The website will also house guides offering help to parents about how to teach their child, advice for effective home schooling, and guides for pupils with SEN (Special Education Needs).
On social media, parents will be able to access further advice about teaching via BBC Bitesize Facebook and Twitter which will be updated regularly with helpful guides.
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer will serve up specially curated content to showcase the very best curriculum-related videos and programmes. Organised by year group and subject, it will be easy for children to find and navigate further support for their learning.
BBC Sounds
Two brand new daily education podcasts will be available on BBC Sounds aimed at parents of primary and secondary pupils. Each episode will last around ten minutes and will be a guide to help families home schooling find content on the BBC that supports their education and wellbeing. Both podcasts – BBC Bitesize Primary Planner and BBC Bitesize Secondary Planner – will be available on voice devices too.
BBC Four
BBC Four will devote a block of programming each weekday evening to shows that support GCSE and A-Level curriculums to feed the brains of students during these shutdown days.
The channel will bring back premium factual programmes presented by some of Britain’s most authoritative voices on Science and History. For students studying Science, programmes of interest for them include Pain, Pus & Poison, Chemistry: A Volatile History, Blood & Guts: A History of Surgery and Shock & Awe: The Story of Electricity. And for students of History, highlighted programmes include Mary Beard’s Meet the Romans, Michael Wood’s Story of England, Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain and Tunes For Tyrants.
These factual programmes are in addition to the previously announced Shakespeare plays which will see BBC Four broadcast theatre versions of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado about Nothing, Othello and Hamlet.
The BBC will also broadcast the much loved BBC adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream from Russell T Davies and Anthony Hopkins’ King Lear and there will be further classic drama adaptations on the current exam syllabus confirmed soon.
