BBC Bitesize has just launched a big ongoing project that I’ve been plugging away at since April. I’ve been working alongside Three Arrows Media, who were commissioned by BBC Learning to deliver 24 short videos to help parents prepare for their children starting primary school. This content, housed on a dedicated BBC website as well as on CBeebies social media, looks set to make a huge difference in our schools.
Why? Because research shows that children are less ready for school than ever when it comes to practical things like toileting and dressing themselves, as well as the social and emotional side. The BBC hopes that this suite of digital videos, as well as a child-facing game about the first day of school, will be a lifesaver for parents and teachers alike.
Head to BBC Bitesize to watch the videos I produced and see the other content on offer as part of the Starting Primary School project. There’s also a site aimed at young people about to start secondary school.
I worked with Megan Nicholson, Three Arrows Media’s fantastic senior researcher, to cast eight experts and nine parents who could talk about a variety of subjects in an honest, informal and non-patronising way. We then worked with these contributors to create 24 scripts before driving the length and breadth of the UK to film them.
As I write this, I’m putting the finishing touches to the last batch of videos, and I really think they will be a gamechanger in our primary schools.
If you’re all about making the world better and want help creating video content to achieve that goal, I’d love to hear from you! Studio 91 Media‘s aim is to make social media less rubbish, one video at a time.
