In July we hosted three webinars for primary, secondary and specialist schools to explain Oak’s plans for the 2020/21 year and answer some of the questions our users have. You can rewatch these below if you missed them – and please feel free to share this page with any colleagues too.

## Primary curriculum for 2020/21

Watch Curriculum Director David Thomas and Primary Headteacher Tilly Browne as they discuss Oak’s primary curriculum plans for 2020/21.

Primary: How to make the most of Oak in 2020/21

Join Oak’s Curriculum Director, David Thomas, and Secondary Principal, Jo Facer, as they discuss Oak’s secondary curriculum plans for 2020/21.

Secondary curriculum for 2020/21

Secondary: How to make the most of Oak in 2020/21

Join Oak’s Specialist Curriculum Lead, Anne Heavey, and Subject Leads, Roseanna Gooder and Alistair Crawford, as they discuss Oak’s specialist curriculum plans for 2020/21.

Specialist curriculum for 2020/21

Specialist: How to make the most of Oak in 2020/21

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Watch our webinars to find out more about our plans for primary, secondary and specialist curricula in the 2020/21 year.

Matt Hood

2020-21 Oak curriculum webinars

As the Research and Evaluation Manager at Oak, part of my job is to continuously engage teachers through surveys and interviews to learn more about their needs and make sure that their voices shape any new lessons and improvements. 

During the third lockdown with its nationwide school closures our platform’s usage skyrocketed, seeing almost a million users on peak days. We asked teachers back then about their plans to keep using Oak, and 75% of teachers indicated that they intend to make use of Oak’s resources beyond this school year.

School openings in March brought some uncertainty around whether we are still relevant when schools are almost running as usual, and classroom teaching is again the norm. We are pleased to see that each week still around 150,000 pupils and 30,000 teachers use Oak. 

However, what was the most interesting to learn about in our recent research is that teachers - ever the innovators - started using Oak in various ways other than managing remote learning. 

As the below chart shows, these uses range from in class teaching to contributing to their professional development. Let’s deepdive into each! 

Oak survey 2021 graph 1

## 1. Lesson planning & delivery

Most of our lessons come with downloadable slides (copyright permitting) that can be adapted to the style and needs of the teacher and delivered in the classroom. What we were slightly more surprised to hear is that teachers make great use of our video lessons in the class as well.

They ‘co-teach’ or ‘team-teach’ as they described this practice,  meaning that they project Oak videos to the class, pause to check for understanding and initiate whole class discussions.

1. Lesson planning & delivery 

Even for experienced teachers there comes a time when they need to teach a subject, year group, or even just a topic that they are non-specialists in. One teacher told us that despite being a Computing teacher, the programming language Python was not her expertise. She used the videos in class, then felt more confident in teaching Python from that basis. 

[Using Oak for lesson planning](https://www.thenational.academy/free-lesson-resources "find out more about planning with Oak") is slightly more prevalent (71%) than using it for actual delivery (60%). This is expected, considering that some teachers prefer to use videos and slides as inspiration only and deliver their own tried-and-tested materials adapted to the needs of their class there and then.

Save time planning with Oak's high-quality lesson resources

## 2. Catch-up for absent students

Our main use case during the pandemic is now only in third place, still, more than half of surveyed teachers [use Oak to support students outside school](https://www.thenational.academy/high-quality-resources-for-absent-pupils "using Oak to support absent pupils"). 

First, even with the worst of the pandemic hopefully behind us, there will still be occasions when pupils miss classes due to various reasons. 

Second, some pupils might struggle with certain concepts and need more time to gain an in-depth understanding at their own pace. One teacher said she uses Oak like a “doctor prescribing medicine for every individual’s specific needs”. 

Teaching Assistants do tremendous work to help pupils who need more support, however video lessons watched at home can provide additional reinforcement too.  As one teacher put it:

2. Catch-up for absent students

## 3. Cover lessons

Providing materials at speed for cover lessons can be very stressful, as can taking a class at short notice. Almost half of the surveyed teachers indicated that they [use Oak as a ready-made solution for cover lessons](https://www.thenational.academy/lesson-cover "using Oak for cover lessons").

Knowing exactly what will be covered in the lesson can give a sense of control and predictability, and also, there is no lengthy preparation required from either end.  The supply teacher can be directed to the material by sharing just a link to the video lesson, which then can be played to the class, paused for discussion when required.


3. Cover lessons

Using Oak for lesson cover

## 4. Setting homework

Although Oak is probably not a top of mind resource for this purpose, 25% of teachers said that they [use Oak to set homework](https://www.thenational.academy/revision-homework-and-learning-recovery "using Oak to set homework"). 

What we have found in our teacher interviews is that homework takes various shapes and forms these days, from light-touch quizzes to chunkier research projects. 

Having experienced months of online learning, pupils are naturals at using the digital platform independently. 

Oak’s collection of resources can thus be repurposed as homework, from asking pupils to watch a section of a video, complete worksheets or have a go at some low stakes quizzing.


4. Setting homework

Using Oak for catch-up, revision and homework

## 5. Professional development

Understandably, many teachers told us that they prefer not to share the limelight in the classroom with a video version. But even many of those who would refrain from using video lessons in class said that they would watch our pre-recorded lessons to help prepare for and plan their lessons. 

This approach has had particular value for newer teachers. One NQT teacher said that there is never enough time to observe other teachers teaching, so he would watch the relevant Oak lesson and use that as a basis to model his own classes, picking up its flow and structure. 

5. Professional development

Another teacher even revealed she watched the videos at double speed while drinking her morning coffee to refresh her memory on a topic before going to work. 

Still, what we have found is that Oak is not engaged with as a usual, dedicated form of CPD, but is used rather in an implicit way. 

As one teacher said: “When you use Oak, you are doing CPD”, and indeed when teachers adapt the readily available slides, take inspiration from quizzes or observe other teachers teaching, they might all learn something new along the way.

*Reka Budai, Research & Evaluation Manager at Oak National Academy*

Reka Budai

Photo of Reka Budai, Research & Evaluation Manager at Oak National Academy

Beyond lockdown: How have teachers used Oak resources since schools fully re-opened?

Without doubt, it’s been a hard year with schools and pupils constantly rising to the challenges and changes before them.

As we move towards the summer break there is - if you choose - the chance to consider what teaching and learning you might offer in school and at home in July and August to help your pupils prepare for the next academic year.

With the DfE offering funding for one to two weeks of teaching in school over summer, Oak has developed a specific [set of resources to save you time](https://www.thenational.academy/summer-learning-support "Summer Learning Support") should you wish to run a summer school, set work for home learning or share resources with parents and pupils to use over the summer.

From 7th June, we’ll be offering [Summer Learning Support](https://www.thenational.academy/summer-learning-support "Summer Learning Support") through:

- priority units and lessons curated in English, Maths, Science, Geography and History for EYFS to Key Stage 4
- newly designed unit quizzes as a formative tool to help identify gaps in knowledge
- creative, active and wellbeing resources from a range of partner organisations, signposting pupils to vital wellbeing support

In particular, we’re keen to help your work preparing your pupils as they move stages, particularly transitioning between Years 6 and 7 and also supporting Years 9, 10 and 11. 

As ever, our resources have been created by teachers, for teachers and can be used as they are or adapted to meet your pupils’ needs.

We also know the importance of pupils’ wellbeing and the ongoing impact the pandemic has had, so we’re balancing our academic content with creative, active and wellbeing resources provided by some brilliant organisations. You can signpost pupils and their families to activities from partners like BAFTA, Place2Be, National Literacy Trust and Youth Sport Trust.

Since we began creating and sharing lessons in April 2020, we hope that Oak’s been by your side, offering you resources whenever and however you’ve needed them. We regularly hear how schools [use Oak to set cover](https://www.thenational.academy/lesson-cover "Resources for lesson cover"), to [provide lessons for absent pupils](https://www.thenational.academy/high-quality-resources-for-absent-pupils "lessons for absent pupils"), and for [homework and revision](https://www.thenational.academy/revision-homework-and-learning-recovery "resources for homework and revision").

We’re proud to have delivered an amazing 125 million lessons since we launched, with 750,000 resources downloaded from the [Teacher Hub](https://teachers.thenational.academy "Teacher Hub") for use in classrooms.

So as well as our Summer Learning Support, we’re keeping our 40,000 teacher-led resources across 35 subjects from EYFS to KS4 available for you to edit and adapt — including [600 resources covering a range of therapies and developmental skills](https://teachers.thenational.academy/specialist "Specialist lessons and resources") for children who attend specialist settings.

Whatever you have planned for the summer, I want to say thank you for your work in another tough year where you’ve shown, once more, the resilience and ingenuity of the education profession. And thank you for your continued support for Oak.

New resources to support your summer learning planning

Find out more about new resources to help support you and your pupils if you choose to offer teaching and learning in school or at home this summer.

New resources from Oak: Everything you need for summer learning


*Matthew Audley is Lead Trainer for Place2Be, responsible for quality assurance of training delivery across the UK. He is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, with 25 years’ experience. He also works as an organisational consultant, trained through the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust and is currently training as a Group Analyst at the Institute for Group Analysis.*

## Teaching is a relational task

At the best of times teaching is a challenging and potentially stressful task. It not only involves conveying information but building the intellectual and creative capabilities of children while managing the individual and collective behaviour of the class. 

Beyond this, attachment theory emphasises that teaching is primarily a relational task: that authentic learning can only happen where there is trust and consistency established between teacher and child over time.

As a charity supporting the mental health of children in school settings, Place2Be has long recognised the importance of supporting teaching staff to manage the impact of working with children with mental health needs. 

Throughout our decades of school-based provision we have noticed how teachers regularly experience the vicarious trauma of working to support these needs through their day-to-day, hour-to-hour practice.

## ‘I haven’t got the time to think’

Right now we are experiencing a collective trauma. We are all struggling to process and adapt to significant loss. This loss is felt particularly keenly in areas of society where there continues to be close human contact. Like Hospitals. And Schools.

A teacher recently declared in the middle of one of our group wellbeing sessions - “But I haven’t got the time to think”. She was feeling so geared up to performing tasks and reacting to relentless challenges (whilst forever on her feet) that it felt almost impossible to pause and take time to reflect on her experience. Sadly for her, the opportunity to reflect has become so unfamiliar it becomes almost frightening.

Teachers absorb and digest the emotional psychological impact of working with vulnerable children often without knowing. If not given the chance to process and reflect on this experience they risk becoming psychologically blocked. This can begin to seriously compromise a teacher’s mental health. 

The consequent stress generated impinges on their ability to focus; it questions their self-confidence and invites self-doubt. Like the children they work with, teachers can become vulnerable to generalised anxiety in relation to their ability to perform the very task that they have made their life’s vocation.

## ‘Breathe between the thoughts’

Teachers need dedicated time to ‘breathe between the thoughts’ of their unrelenting performance and experience. This is not a luxury. It is a basic need.

When a counsellor works therapeutically with children it is an ethical requirement that they receive ‘supervision’ for an hour at least once monthly. It has long astonished and shocked me that teachers do not receive the same support to process their work experience.

We are letting down our children if we don’t properly support teachers to reflect on their experience. It supports and builds resilience in their own well-being, and therefore reinforces their capacity to build secure and trusting working relationships with the children they teach.

## The role of Place2Be

In response to this priority need, Place2Be has developed an online group wellbeing service known as [Place2Think](http://www.place2be.org.uk/supervision). Teaching staff at all levels, from head teacher through to mid-day supervisor, are given the opportunity - in small groups relevant to their role - to process the emotional impact of their work, step back from the psychological demands of continuous performance and make sense of what they have learnt. 

This not only informs better practice. It also ensures they are better able to manage and sustain their own mental health. We are fortunate to have funding to be able to offer this service for free to all Education professionals in [London](http://www.place2be.org.uk/supervision) and [Scotland](http://www.place2be.org.uk/Place2Think).

In addition, we are delighted to be able to offer our online [Mental Health Champions – Foundation Programme](http://www.place2be.org.uk/foundation)  for free to all UK based teachers and school staff. The 5-week programme not only focuses on the mental health of children and young people, but also crucially on the adults around a child including teachers.

During this traumatic time when teacher resilience is key to sustaining the mental well-being and resilience of vulnerable children, a ‘whole school’ approach to mental health should be part of the working fabric of every school throughout the country. This cannot wait until tomorrow when the pandemic has waned. Teachers need time to ‘breathe between the thoughts’ right now.

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2020-21 Oak curriculum webinars

Primary curriculum for 2020/21

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Beyond lockdown: How have teachers used Oak resources since schools fully re-opened?

New resources from Oak: Everything you need for summer learning

Breathe between the thoughts: Why mental health support for teachers is not a luxury but a basic need