Teachers TV
Encyclopedia
Teachers TV was a website and former free-to-air
Distance education
television channel which provided video and support materials for those who work in education in the UK
, including teachers, school leaders, governors, teacher trainers, student teachers and support staff.
Its aims included raising educational standards, saving the workforce time, and boosting professional development. It also provides classroom resources and all content is available to watch or download for free. Further professional and practical help is on hand from its active online community. The service was launched on 8 February 2005, and is managed by Education Digital Management Ltd, and funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The website was co-owned by Ten Alps
(75%) and ITN (25%).
There is general programming too including a weekly half-hour news programme, documentaries on the educational issues and controversies of the day, and guidance on topics such as behaviour management.
It covers all National Curriculum subjects, as well as specialist programmes for headteachers, managers, Newly Qualified Teacher
s (NQT), Teaching assistant
s (TA), and governors. It also has an educational news service supplied by ITN.
Popular videos include behaviour experts John Bayley, Sue Cowley and The Scary Guy
, as well as real teachers and other school workers who show hands-on examples of good practice.
While it is funded by the DCSF, Teachers TV is editorially independent of government. This is a requirement of the 2003 Communications Act and OFCOM
, the regulator for the UK communications industries. To ensure accountability for its funding, a governance process has been established, managed by the Teachers TV Board of Governors.
In March 2010, Ed Balls
, then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
(DCSF
) axed the broadcast deals in place with Freeview, Freesat
, Sky and Virgin Media
in a bid to save the channel around £1m in carriage costs annually. It closed on Freeview first on 21 July and Freesat, Sky and Virgin followed on 31 August 2010. Online availability was unaffected by the change.
On 15 October 2010, Ten Alps announced that The Department for Education is cancelling the £10m annual Teachers TV contract from April 2011. The contract was due to run until 2013, but the government has invoked a six-month break clause. The service had 400,000 registered users. It provided 783,000 training day sessions online in 2009 and claims it has saved schools an estimated £235m. Teachers TV will be working closely with the Department for Education to formulate a clear transitional process between now and the termination of the contract.
The Ten Alps
TV & Education chief executive, Alex Connock
said the site had great potential as a subscription business and could also be adapted for international students and university-level training. It already carries some advertising, but sponsorship had been ruled out under the current contract.
‘Teachers’ TV’ (TTV) was a Government funded, ‘ad aided’ programme for teachers. Initially an online TV channel, then just a web vehicle for specific professional training- Continuous Professional Development, or CPD, via mainly video experiences across all curricula, age groups and other school based issues, specifically aimed at teachers. It was run by a highly professional group of individuals, at extremely high costs, managed by Ten Alps
.
Deemed ‘successful’, 'Teachers' TV' gained a wide reaching audience of teachers, heads, assistants and Governors, with over 3500 best practice videos and further raw material for up to 6,000 with investment into new content regularly, but high. Government funding was withdrawn April 2011, Teachers TV ceased to exist, but all the content was made available for those organisations that would be able to provide free access to ALL the material for teachers nationally in the UK.
In 2011 a number of providers gained a license from the Department for Education to distribute the Teachers TV videos. Only those videos which were commissioned by the Teachers TV service are available under the terms of the license.
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
Distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
television channel which provided video and support materials for those who work in education in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including teachers, school leaders, governors, teacher trainers, student teachers and support staff.
Its aims included raising educational standards, saving the workforce time, and boosting professional development. It also provides classroom resources and all content is available to watch or download for free. Further professional and practical help is on hand from its active online community. The service was launched on 8 February 2005, and is managed by Education Digital Management Ltd, and funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The website was co-owned by Ten Alps
Ten Alps
Ten Alps Plc is a UK-based media company, founded in 1999 by Alex Connock and Bob Geldof.The plc is now run by Peter Bertram and Nitil Patel...
(75%) and ITN (25%).
There is general programming too including a weekly half-hour news programme, documentaries on the educational issues and controversies of the day, and guidance on topics such as behaviour management.
It covers all National Curriculum subjects, as well as specialist programmes for headteachers, managers, Newly Qualified Teacher
Newly Qualified Teacher
Newly Qualified Teacher is a label attached to teachers in the United Kingdom who have been qualified for less than 12 months.-Origins:The term began to be used in the mid-1990s following the removal of the requirement for teachers to serve a probationary period in 1991 under the Education ...
s (NQT), Teaching assistant
Teaching assistant (United Kingdom)
A teaching assistant or educational assistant in schools in England and Wales is a person who supports a teacher in the classroom...
s (TA), and governors. It also has an educational news service supplied by ITN.
Popular videos include behaviour experts John Bayley, Sue Cowley and The Scary Guy
The Scary Guy
The Scary Guy is a United States based motivational speaker who campaigns worldwide to eliminate hate, violence, prejudice and bullying in schools and corporations...
, as well as real teachers and other school workers who show hands-on examples of good practice.
While it is funded by the DCSF, Teachers TV is editorially independent of government. This is a requirement of the 2003 Communications Act and OFCOM
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, the regulator for the UK communications industries. To ensure accountability for its funding, a governance process has been established, managed by the Teachers TV Board of Governors.
In March 2010, Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. The post was created on 28 June 2007 after the disbanding of the Department for Education and Skills by Gordon Brown. The first Secretary of State was Ed Balls, a former treasury aide to Brown...
(DCSF
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
) axed the broadcast deals in place with Freeview, Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
, Sky and Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
in a bid to save the channel around £1m in carriage costs annually. It closed on Freeview first on 21 July and Freesat, Sky and Virgin followed on 31 August 2010. Online availability was unaffected by the change.
On 15 October 2010, Ten Alps announced that The Department for Education is cancelling the £10m annual Teachers TV contract from April 2011. The contract was due to run until 2013, but the government has invoked a six-month break clause. The service had 400,000 registered users. It provided 783,000 training day sessions online in 2009 and claims it has saved schools an estimated £235m. Teachers TV will be working closely with the Department for Education to formulate a clear transitional process between now and the termination of the contract.
The Ten Alps
Ten Alps
Ten Alps Plc is a UK-based media company, founded in 1999 by Alex Connock and Bob Geldof.The plc is now run by Peter Bertram and Nitil Patel...
TV & Education chief executive, Alex Connock
Alex Connock
Alex Connock TV/digital entrepreneur & academic. Founded TV/digital company in 2011. Visiting Fellow Oxford University's Reuters Institute. Previously co-founded with Bob Geldof TV/digital content company Ten Alps 1999-2011....
said the site had great potential as a subscription business and could also be adapted for international students and university-level training. It already carries some advertising, but sponsorship had been ruled out under the current contract.
‘Teachers’ TV’ (TTV) was a Government funded, ‘ad aided’ programme for teachers. Initially an online TV channel, then just a web vehicle for specific professional training- Continuous Professional Development, or CPD, via mainly video experiences across all curricula, age groups and other school based issues, specifically aimed at teachers. It was run by a highly professional group of individuals, at extremely high costs, managed by Ten Alps
Ten Alps
Ten Alps Plc is a UK-based media company, founded in 1999 by Alex Connock and Bob Geldof.The plc is now run by Peter Bertram and Nitil Patel...
.
Deemed ‘successful’, 'Teachers' TV' gained a wide reaching audience of teachers, heads, assistants and Governors, with over 3500 best practice videos and further raw material for up to 6,000 with investment into new content regularly, but high. Government funding was withdrawn April 2011, Teachers TV ceased to exist, but all the content was made available for those organisations that would be able to provide free access to ALL the material for teachers nationally in the UK.
In 2011 a number of providers gained a license from the Department for Education to distribute the Teachers TV videos. Only those videos which were commissioned by the Teachers TV service are available under the terms of the license.