BBC Bitesize Daily has this week launched on the CBBC channel, with an hour of dedicated programming for primary children every school day from 9am. Meanwhile, the Oak National Academy has revealed that it will be expanding its subject offering from January.
Between April and July this year, BBC Bitesize Daily provided more than 100 lessons via the BBC iPlayer as well as thousands of lessons online, while Oak National Academy was set up during the first lockdown with government funding to offer video lessons and resources for primary, secondary and specialist schools. In its first term 4.7 million users accessed 20 million lessons.
The BBC has now confirmed that from this week, CBBC will be airing three 20-minute episodes of BBC Bitesize Daily every day. The three episodes will be aimed at the five to seven, seven to nine, and nine to 11 age ranges and will cover either English, maths or science plus one other curriculum subject each day. BBC Bitesize Daily will continue to offer access online to thousands of primary lessons.
The CBBC schedule will continue until December 11 and will include Professor Brian Cox teaching science topics such as forces and gravity, Sir David Attenborough teaching geography and science, and book club readings from Stephen Fry, Joanne Lumley, Oti Mabuse, David Walliams and David Baddiel.
Oak National Academy, meanwhile, will introduce lessons in PE, drama, design and technology and will expand its languages and art, craft and design lessons to primary. It will also introduce relationships, health and sex education (RHSE).
It means that from January, the website will be home to more than 10,000 free lessons and resources to support remote education and lesson-planning.
Matt Hood, principal of Oak National Academy, said: “Every part of Oak National Academy has been created from a recommendation or suggestion from a teacher. So I’m delighted we’ve been able to work with a diverse set of subject associations and partners to respond to teachers’ needs. We hope these resources will help teachers’ workloads and support school contingencies throughout this challenging year.”