Coronavirus Kent: BBC Bitesize begins daily lessons from Monday, April 20 to support home schooling

More than 200 teachers, celebrities, sports stars and musicians are to take on roles educating the nation's youngsters as the BBC begins the biggest education offering in its history.

The corporation is launching 14 weeks of curriculum based learning from today for both primary and secondary pupils who have been sent home from school because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Bitesize Daily service is powered by hundreds of teachers alongside an impressive register of familiar faces including Professor Brian Cox, who will teach key science topics and Sir David Attenborough who is also set to be involved helping youngsters learn about the oceans, mapping the world and why animals look the way they do.

The BBC has launched the service, it says, to ensure that children across the country have access to curriculum-supported learning for the summer term.

Learning will be tailored to ages, and key stages, and be available across the BBC iPlayer, Red Button, BBC Bitesize website and app as well as BBC Four and BBC Sounds.

All elements of Bitesize Daily have been developed with teaching professionals, those behind the mass roll out have said.

Alice Webb, director BBC Children’s & Education explained: “We’re proud that the BBC can bring together so many people to offer such a wide-ranging package of support to help children and parents right across the UK at such a challenging time.

“We said the BBC would be there for people through this crisis, and we meant it. It’s vital that every child is able to continue learning – and the lessons we’re putting on will make sure they have fun at the same time."

Hundreds of lessons are expected to be delivered over the next three months, with a huge focus on core subjects such as maths, English and science.

Both in front of and behind the camera, hundreds of teachers have joined the call for help to keep the nation's kids learning whilst schools are closed and social distancing is maintained.

In week one students will meet; Mr Burton from Educating Yorkshire, Ms Webb for primary pupils, Mr Brown, Ms Armit and Mr Mycock for secondary students and Mr McPartlin of Britain’s Got Talent fame. They will all front daily lessons available from 9am each week day on BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button.

But a raft of celebrities have also been drafted in to help inspire learning.

Manchester City footballer Sergio Aguero is to get the nation’s kids counting in Spanish, music stars Mabel and Liam Payne combine music and reading for secondary school teens, EastEnders actor Danny Dyer will be bringing history to life for younger pupils with facts about Henry VIII whilst Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker will also be dropping into Bitesize Daily lessons.

Former MP and Strictly Come Dancing star Ed Balls will also be going back to his political roots in economics to deliver a KS3 maths class.

The scheme will also see a week-long Musical Big Read in which television personalities including presenter Anita Rani and Greatest Dancer judge Oti Mabuse will read books aimed at both primary and secondary aged pupils.

For the next 14 weeks, from Monday, April 20, BBC Bitesize Daily will have:

• Six x 20 minute programmes airing 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. The shows are aimed at all children across the UK and split into age groups 5-7 years, 7-9 years, 9-11 years, 11- 12, 12-13 years and 13-14 years.
• 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.
• The shows are aimed at all children across the UK and split into age groups 5-7 years, 7-9 years, 9-11 years, 11- 12, 12-13 years and 13-14 years.
• Bitesize Daily Online will deliver a newly created maths and English lesson every day, for each year group from 1-10. As well as offering resources in the three core subjects 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 specially curated content such as curriculum-related videos and programmes organised by year group and subject.
• BBC Sounds will have two daily education podcasts aimed at parents of primary and secondary pupils. Each episode lasts around ten minutes and will be a guide to help families who are home schooling find content on the BBC that supports their education and wellbeing.
• BBC Four is devoting a block of programming each weekday evening to shows that support GCSE and A-Level curriculums. The factual programmes are in addition to 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.

BBC Bitesize Daily launches Monday, April 20 across BBC iPlayer, Red Button and online at www.bbc.co.uk/Bitesize

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