Local Authorities
Cherwell District Council
Welcome to the inspiring journey of Durham County Council’s adult learning provider – DurhamLearn, where innovation meets dedication in transforming lives through learning. We’ll meet Liam Whittaker, the dynamic ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) tutor. He’ll share how he and his fellow ESOL tutors are helping refugees with FlashAcademy®.
Setting the scene
Before we dig into the detail, let’s find out more about Durham County Council and DurhamLearn.
Part of Durham County Council, DurhamLearn serves its county’s diverse community by providing a broad range of adult education and training provision. It aims to encourage personal development and support health and well-being, as well as provide opportunities to gain skills and qualifications to aid further education and employment.
So how is FlashAcademy® relevant to this aim? To answer that, we need to understand how Durham’s community have responded to the refugee crises over the years.
Durham County Council has shown its commitment to supporting people seeking refuge from conflicts around the world. Since 2016, with the support of its compassionate residents, over 700 vulnerable people from Syria, Iraq, Sudan Afghanistan and Ukraine have been placed with almost 250 host families.
A vital part of their humanitarian efforts is equipping refugees with the right tools and skills to be able to achieve their personal and professional goals and aspirations. Learning English has such a huge impact on a person’s ability to settle into life in the UK, feel part of their new community and secure employment. DurhamLearn contributes to this mission by providing ESOL courses, which includes the provision of FlashAcademy®. Let’s find out more about how that works…
Integrating FlashAcademy® into DurhamLearn’s ESOL approach
Time to get back to Liam and his story! Liam works primarily with Ukrainian refugees. He seamlessly incorporates FlashAcademy® into his daily teaching routine at DurhamLearn. Utilising its wealth features, Liam has been able to enhance communication with his fellow ESOL tutors. Together, they’ve used FlashAcademy® to personalise support for each learner.
Competition, challenges and beyond the classroom
FlashAcademy®’s leaderboard and competitive elements have revolutionised engagement within the ESOL programme. Liam shared, “Encouraging healthy competition among learners has been key to motivation. Each week, we choose a champion of the week across all groups. We’ve found this recognition strengthens their commitment to use the platform! This approach promotes learning and strengthens the sense of community among learners.”
Even in the face of challenges, such as bus strikes or students returning home, FlashAcademy® remains a reliable companion in the language learning journey. Liam said, “The learning app is accessible from any location or device, helping us to continue teaching and learning even when it wasn’t possible for the students to make it in to school. A level of continuity that is crucial for supporting refugees who may face disruptions to their education.
“Additionally, the option of using the app with a home language has encouraged students to engage more frequently – both in the lessons and with the assessment feature. I’ve even seen students continue to use the app once they have returned home to the Ukraine.” Liam sets weekly tasks for his students to complete outside of the classroom. He aligns these tasks so they reinforce classroom learning while engaging students and keeping them motivated outside traditional teaching hours.
Flexibility in teaching styles
While Liam primarily uses FlashAcademy® as an independent learning tool, some of his colleagues are exploring different ways to incorporate it into their teaching methodologies. He shared, “Some of the other ESOL tutors are enjoying experimenting with the app, finding new ways to incorporate it into their teaching. We have found it particularly effective for lower-level learners and giving them a personalised learning experience. Its user-friendly interface and tailored content make it easy to differentiate lesson plans and make language learning accessible and enjoyable for all.”
FlashAcademy®’s impact on DurhamLearn’s ESOL programme
FlashAcademy® has provided excellent support for Durham County Council’s ESOL initiative, particularly in supporting Ukrainian refugees and other newcomers to England. Through its user-friendly interface and innovative features, FlashAcademy® empowers learners, builds motivation and promotes inclusivity within the community. As Liam summarises, ” “FlashAcademy has boosted attendance in groups using it this year by an average of over 10% compared to last, meaning that despite challenges such as industrial action and illness preventing learners attending classes, these groups still achieved a 100% pass rate on exams taken this year.”
