New OCR partnership offers endorsed resources for GCSE and A-Level success
We’re excited to partner with awarding body, OCR to provide endorsed media resources. Together, we’re combining our expertise to enhance the way teachers deliver GCSE, AS and A-Level lessons by offering free access to educational broadcast content. These tailored TV and radio clips are designed to help students understand complex concepts and develop critical thinking skills directly relevant to their OCR qualifications.
Video content helps to engage students and add variety to lessons, but most content available for free online is not licensed, is poor quality, or can be misleadingly described and contain inappropriate content.
Many teachers also express concern about the risks of automated ‘play next’ features that can suggest distracting content after an online video has finished playing. Ad-breaks mid-play, further disrupt teaching time and student focus, while others do not have time to search for sometimes obscure content, and many older clips from educational programmes simply do not exist online.
Immediate access to resources
The Video Streaming Platform already features an array of media resources aligned with OCR’s Lit in Colour specification, as well as content for the planned new A-Level Psychology and A-Level Sociology qualifications, set for first teaching in 2025 (subject to accreditation).
However, you don’t need to wait until September to benefit from these materials! Many of the resources are already relevant to OCR’s current qualifications, allowing teachers to seamlessly integrate them into lesson plans or assign them as homework activities.
Endorsed and trusted by experts
All clips and programmes endorsed through this partnership undergo thorough quality checks by the OCR Curriculum Specialist team to ensure that teaching staff can rely on the quality and relevance of the materials, whether they’re being used to support a specific topic, unit or an entire specification. By aligning with OCR’s standards, these clips support effective teaching practices in the lead up to assessment and can help to boost student attainment across key subjects.
Expanding the resource Library
As part of our mission to enhance the learning experience, we’re actively developing a dynamic range of resources to support additional OCR subjects, including Geography, Science and Business.
“Broadcast resources can be a powerful means of helping pupils understand complex concepts and develop critical thinking skills essential for their learning journey. We are delighted that OCR recognises their educational value and is working with us to identify highly relevant and targeted audio-visual resources to support teaching in schools.”
Helena Djurkovic, ERA CEO
“We know how precious a teacher’s time is. The benefits of using video content to engage with students are obvious, but finding a video that is relevant, appropriate, and good enough quality takes up time that many teachers simply don’t have.”
Peter Canning, Director of Product at OCR
Access for free
Register now for access to all of ERA’s educational resources, including the Video Streaming Platform, BBC Literary Archive and the Shakespeare Archive.
ERA resources are free at the point of use and only available to those in formal UK education and institutions holding an ERA Licence. 99% of state schools in the UK are already covered by an ERA Licence – you can check here. For more information about access, contact: 0207 837 3222 or email era@era.org.uk
