“A partnership approach between educators and innovators.”

As the official ‘Innovator of the Year 2019’ (with grateful thanks to BETT and BESA,) we have a solution to the problems outlined by Damian Hinds, Education Secretary.

In Damian Hinds’ opening speech at BETT 2019, he spoke of a series of issues currently facing education including the onerous nature of lesson planning and marking.

The Education Secretary laid down the gauntlet for ed-tech companies to provide a solution for teacher workload, one that did not take away from the progression and learning already taking place in the classroom.

He asked edtech companies to provide enabling technologies that:

• are cost effective.

• reduce teacher workload (by at least 2 hours a week).

• deliver improved learning outcomes and encourage “better learning” for all students.

We re-worked the order of priority, but our sentiments remain the same:

Learning by Questions improves learning outcomes

A number of LbQ teachers report enormous leaps in student achievement; in several cases students have learnt a whole year’s objectives within 5 months. 91% of teachers using LbQ said that the platform had helped pupils achieve greater academic progress*. Masefield Primary School in Bolton went from ‘requires improvement’ to being in the top 4% for maths progress after implementing LbQ in their classrooms.

Learning by Questions cuts teacher workload

94% of teachers using Learning by Questions say that it reduced their workload by 1 hour per lesson. If a teacher uses Learning by Questions 4 times a week, a saving of 4 hours of planning time is saved: beyond the conservative target of at least 2 hours a week suggested by Damian Hinds in his speech.

The Question Sets written by a team of 25 experienced teachers help teachers provide engaging resources for students in a time where curriculum goal posts are ever-shifting. 100% of teachers said it was easy to use and 98.8% said it was enjoyable to use, 91.8% said their lessons have become more effective. This success is in no small part down to the Question Sets being designed by teacher authors and employing feedback from teachers at the chalk-face.

Learning by Questions is cost effective

A Learning by Questions account gives teachers access to all subjects and key stages available on the platform. A single subscription costs £200 a year and grants access to each student in a class. This equates to £5 per term-time week.

Learning by Questions recognises the difficulties schools face with ever-tightening budgets. But we also believe in the need for students to have access to technology. Schools can invest in 30 student tablets, 1 teacher tablet, a charging cabinet (and warranty) and a subscription to LbQ for £1,300 per year. At £32 per week or 27p per day per student, Learning by Questions is accessible even for the tightest of budgets.

If a teacher photocopies two single sheets (at a cost of 1p per sheet) for each pupil four times a week, this will cost a school £96 per year. Investing in Learning by Questions would eradicate the need for photocopying of this nature as the platform is accessible online for each and every pupil: paying for nearly 50% of a yearly subscription to Learning by Questions.

You can sign up for a free account.

*Based on feedback from teachers and pupils in 100 classrooms across 10 local authorities.