Customer Story: The Green School Trust

When Assistant Headteacher, Vandna Pathak, talks about how The Green School Trust has changed over the past decade, one theme stands out: the students’ needs have evolved, but the traditional classroom hasn’t always kept pace.

“Over the last seven or eight years, our cohort has changed a great deal. We have more students who would be categorised as disadvantaged, and we’re seeing more anxiety and stress-related barriers to learning.”

Despite The Green School for Girls’ consistent overall attainment, the trust faced a growing gap between its top performers and those struggling to engage. Post-pandemic, these disparities became sharper. For Vandna, it was essential to find a resource that worked for every student, whether they were thriving, at risk of falling behind, or learning in non-traditional settings.

That search led them to GCSEPod.

Why Access GCSEPod?

For The Green School Trust, the appeal was twofold: it met the trust’s teaching priorities while also helping staff cope with rising workload pressures.

“For us, the big priorities are consolidating students’ long-term memory and reducing workload for our teachers. GCSEPod ticks both boxes. The content is concise, engaging, and exam-board aligned, and the self-marking assessments make it so much easier for staff.”

Teachers were particularly encouraged by the platform’s ability to integrate seamlessly into lessons and revision, with minimal setup time. 

Rolling out Access GCSEPod: A phased approach

To make the most of the platform, the trust took a deliberate, phased approach, ensuring each year group had a strategy that fit their needs.

• Year 9 – Introduced gradually to build familiarity, using short videos in lessons to prepare students for independent learning later on.
• Year 10 – Focused on embedding GCSEPod as part of revision routines, with assignments and quizzes set through the platform.
• Year 11 – Used intensively for exam preparation, with playlists targeting individual knowledge gaps and Check & Challenge assessments to test readiness.

“Every student was logged on and using GCSEPod within three weeks. It’s now part of lessons, homework, revision, even competitions. It’s become part of the school culture.”

A quick-start guide was added to the school handbook to give students clear instructions from day one, and staff incorporated GCSEPod into lesson planning and assessment. Information for parents and carers, including links to webinars, was shared regularly—both in person at events such as parents’ evenings and Partnership with Parents sessions, and through the school bulletin.

Early impact and advice for other schools

Even in the early stages, the trust has seen tangible benefits: students are more engaged, staff have more time, and GCSEPod has become a single hub for content, assessment, and progress monitoring.

“We’ve pushed GCSEPod across the trust because it’s comprehensive, easy to navigate, and short and sharp for the students. It works.”

The Green School Trust’s advice to other schools rolling out GCSEPod?

1. Phase the introduction by year group so students and staff can build familiarity without feeling overwhelmed.
2. Embed it into daily routines — lessons, homework, and revision — rather than treating it as an add-on.
3. Use competitions and rewards to encourage engagement, particularly for younger students.
4. Support staff training with live CPD sessions, so everyone knows how to use the tools effectively.
5. Monitor usage and progress to target interventions and celebrate success.

“When renewal time comes around, this is the one resource I fight to keep. It just works for our students and our staff.”

Want to see how Access GCSEPod could help your school or trust achieve the same results?

The Green School Trust is just one example of how GCSEPod helps students boost attainment while giving teachers time back. If you’d like to explore how it could work in your school, book a free, no-obligation demo and see the platform in action.