19th June 2013
VIVO HELPS CLOSE THE GAP IN WALES
The effectiveness of the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) – which equates to £450 per student on free school meals (FSM) – has been a topic of hot debate in recent months. The two major criticisms of the scheme have been that some schools are absorbing the fund into their main budgets (with disadvantaged pupils seeing little benefit), while others have been accused of “wasting” the budget on laptop and tablet computers and poorly-trained extra staffroom assistants. Furthermore, schools seem to be having difficulty monitoring progress.
The good news is that Vivo, the award-winning recognition and rewards platform, now live in seven Welsh schools, will make it easy for schools to implement six out of “The Seven Interventions,” as recommended in the new government guidelines for how schools should spend the PDG.
Vivo, which is a customisable platform, can be adapted to promote recommended activities such as self-regulated learning, peer tutoring, extracurricular activities, extended learning and general positive behaviour. It has also been proven to double usage of other e-learning technologies such as SAM Learning and Frog.
From a staff perspective, it provides a simple framework for motivating (3 Clicks to Reward), and is a system which is valued by students from all backgrounds. A recent survey of 500 Vivo schools in the UK also found that it dramatically improves motivation (98% of schools said Vivo had had a positive impact on attendance, academic performance, general attitude and student-teacher relationships) and frees up valuable teacher time spent on admin tasks.
Vivo also helps to get parents ‘on board’ by providing them with a login, real time feedback and the ability to set incentives for their child.
Andrew Hesketh, Assistant Headteacher at YsgolAberconwy, explains their decision to go with Vivo:“We hadpicked upseveral independent and positive comments about Vivo as a tool for motivating students and, in particular, encouraging attendance. Having investigated Vivo we could see why many colleagues had recommended it. As a rewards system, it pretty much does all that we could want and there is great flexibility to tailor it towards our own specific needs.”
YsgolAberconwy (Conwy) joins YsgolRhiwabon (Wrexham), Elfed High School (Flintshire) and Lliswerry and Llanwern High Schools in Newport in coming on board with Vivo this year. Vivo’s first school in Wales was Ebbw Vale in Gwent.
Notes to editors:
- Finalist in the 2012 BETT Award, ICT Company of the Year.
- Vivo Rewards won the 2011 Education Investor award for Use of Technology.
- Vivo Rewards won the 2010 BETT Award winner for Best Leadership and Management Solution.
About Vivo Rewards:
Founded in 2009, Vivo Rewards provides a range of online reward solutions to the educational sector and the wider community. Over a million students and teachers in England and Wales now use Vivo across 500 schools, including many of the most prestigious new academies. It has strategic partnerships with the leading ICT providers to education, including all the leading MIS and VLE manufacturers.
The company has a growing customer base in Australia and Scotland, alongside rewards and recognition products for other markets including primary schools, FE and HE colleges, not-for-profit organisations and the wider community.
Media contact:
Vivo Rewards
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London
WC2H 7NA
T: +44 (0)20 31172570
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