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Education Demand’s GCSEPod has positive impact at Leeds College of Building

When Sarah Heaton, English lecturer at Leeds College of Building, noticed students were struggling with their studies, she sought to implement a new format for teaching GCSE English, using Education Demand’s GCSE Resit and Functional Skills content.

With some pupils reporting a 5% average grade increase paired with a positive parent reaction, Sarah talks to us about the process.

A while ago I started noticing our GCSE English cohort wasn’t responding to our skills-based teaching approach. We talked about it with our students and they requested a clear and explicit delivery style, while I required a system which could adapt our existing resources and deliver the content question-by-question.

Since the creation of the bespoke playlists, my pupils have reported how much they love the simplified GCSEPod format. Both parents and students appreciate the revised format and as a result engagement on the platform has soared!

Nicole Barklam (English Lecturer)

Content Playlists

Following some research, a meeting was arranged with The Access Group to discuss their award-winning Education Demand GCSE Resit content for English.

With support and guidance from the amazing customer service team, we created a playlist for every single question on the exam paper. The playlists comprised pod videos, revision tips questions, and practice tasks to help upskill our cohort on all aspects of the exam specification.

I set up the playlists as open assignments so that students can access them at any time. Learners can repeat the playlists over the academic year, so teachers can track the progress they are making in each area.

Personal learning journeys

Students take ownership of their learning journeys by scanning QR codes we display on screens around the school with their phones. I am able to use QR codes to personalise the learning for each student, which came in particularly useful following some recent mock exam results. In response to the results, we were able to identify areas of weakness and then use the playlists to upskill the students in these areas. Students receive instant feedback and are encouraged to be responsible for their own learning.

In a recent survey, students were positive in their feedback about the new playlists and have said Education Demand’s content will be their number one preferred method of revision. We’ve also shared these results with parents and guardians so they can support students’ learning at home.

Impact on students and parents

Students are loving Education Demand and engagement across the board is really high. We’re also noticing quantifiable results – students receiving 70% in an assessment will go back, try again, and get 75% next time.

Initial parent feedback has been really positive too. We have had feedback from parents saying that if their child has been struggling, GCSEPod has really helped with their grades and confidence.

Teacher buy-in

Staff have bought into GCSEPod and are much more confident using the platform already. All they have to do is signpost their learners to the QR codes. So, it has taken all the stress, anxiety and frustration away. Busy staff really appreciate how easy the platform is to navigate.

With GCSEPod’s playlists it is so easy to navigate because it's all set out in a simple order, question by question and you get instant feedback, which is really good

Oliver, First Year Student

GCSEPod is now part of Education Demand, an award-winning and intuitive learning platform that is proven to improve results whilst reducing teacher workload.

Our GCSE Resits bundle for Maths and English Language is made up of 12 modules per subject. Each module contains 3-5 lessons covering key elements of the topic, delivered using a mixture of video, assessment, and workbook-based tasks. Our multi-modal, adaptive approach offers learners a scaffolded, personalised pathway through their resits and has helped over 30,000 subscribers get through their GCSE resit this year.

find out more

Our Functional Skills content bundle is so much more than just assessment, with over 400 videos containing content created for Functional Skills by experienced Functional Skills tutors and examiners. We personalise digital learner journeys and our award-winning formative assessment tool, Check & Challenge, will keep learners on track as they progress. Find out more about how the Functional Skills bundle works in this video below.

Read how another local institution, Leeds City College has been utilising the GCSE Resits content in this case study. Our GCSE Resets content is helping over 30,000 subscribers to positively impact their GCSE English Language and Maths results.

Education Demand improves learning outcomes while reducing teacher workload.

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