Kellett School

The solution

GCSEPod offers short three to five minutes videos to visually show a learning point. Whether it’s used as an introduction to a learning objective, a resource for teachers to set as homework, or as an additional revision tool to allow students to consolidate what they have been learning in class its versatility is ideal. The resource is tailored to 27 GCSE subjects, including maths, English, science, history and languages to name a few. All the students at the Kellett School who are studying for their GCSE have access to this tool in the classroom, on the bus home and at home.

Lisa explains in more detail, “GCSEPod is a key component of the range of revision tools we make available to students. I use the LibGuides platform to create resource collections for each subject which allows me to combine external links, library materials and books, as well as other subscription resources such as GCSEPod.”

Lisa holds sessions with each tutor group at the start of the year to show them all the benefits they can reap from using GCSEPod. This has proven to be a great way for her to get to know the children at the start of the year and build relationships with those students who use GCSEPod diligently and who need additional support with certain subjects.

In addition, Lisa acts as the central contact for teachers who wish to know more about the product or require training.

“I think the thing the students enjoy most about GCSEPod is the visual/audio nature of the resource. We have many students who enjoy reading and fully utilise our written materials, and GCSEPod really compliments their learning. The Pods also have an impact for those children who are more visual/audio learners and who benefit from a different style of learning. We even have students in Year 9 using the Pods to get them prepared for their studies.

The Results

When talking about GCSEPod, Lisa highlighted the benefit it has for her, in the role: “GCSEPod is visual and informative. I see the value GCSEPod adds for children in all subjects from History to Maths, English to Chemistry, and it really provides a consistent approach to the students learning across all subjects.

“It allows the library and my role to go above and beyond and connect with children across all students studying for their GCSEs.”

“Heavy promotion of GCSEPod was one of a number of strategies tried in the school. It is virtually impossible to attribute the progress to one strategy, but GCSEPod definitely helped.

“Our lowest 20 GCSEPod users achieved an average P8 of 0.2 – still positive but markedly below our top 20 users. There is a clear gap, and what the results show is that GCSEPod has the ability to positively help students when it is used well.”

Hodge Hill Girls’ School has seen results improve across the board since 2016. Attainment 8 currently stands at 50.58, whilst EBacc entry is 75% – up from 45% in 2016. The percentage of students achieving EBacc at grades 9-4 is 47%.

The Government’s ambition is to see 75% of students studying the EBacc subject combination at GCSE by 2022, with 90% by 2025. Hodge Hill Girls’ School is already well on the way to meeting the latter target.

GCSEPod covers all exam boards and over 27 subjects, and Claire says its breath of knowledge is an “excellent” EBacc support resource.

It is also proving invaluable in other ways. A high number of Hodge Hill Girls’ School’s students have English as a second language. “The visual manner in which the Pods are presented combined with the way the central facts, words, messages and diagrams are clearly and precisely presented on screen, means that students for whom English isn’t their first language, can still get the key messages,” Claire reveals.

Everyone from teachers to students enjoys using GCSEPod across Key Stages 3 and 4. In the younger age groups it is being used for pre-tutoring, so students already have a knowledge base before embarking on their GCSEs.

The online learning platform has proved particularly useful in history, English literature, the sciences and languages, in encouraging students to learn independently, and helping teachers monitor progress.

Claire is impressed with the way GCSEPod is being constantly updated to reflect current trends and changes in education needs and is looking forward to using another innovation – Check & Challenge.

Usually when students practise multiple choice questions, they can guess and get the answers right. It can present a skewed picture to the teacher who believes everyone has grasped a topic.

But Check & Challenge is different in that it evaluates student responses, providing scaffolded support via hints, multiple choice options and feedback reports.

It will be another invaluable resource in helping Hodge Hill Girls’ School’s students reach their full potential. They are historically ambitious with many going into medicine and public sector jobs such as the police and teaching, as well as apprenticeships.

“GCSEPod has helped significantly in raising standards. I believe both the school and our students would be in a very different position without both it and the other strategies we have introduced,” Claire says.

The Results

“This year we had more than double the number of Pods watched with 16,313 and a P8 of 0.73 for the school (up from the previous year’s 0.17). Our top 20 GCSEPod users watched an average of 393 Pods each and achieved a typical P8 of 1. Of these, 10 achieved a P8 of 1 or above and three realised a P8 of 2 or above.