Every single day, in every school across the country, teachers and other staff are faced with a variety of unique and very specific issues which all require a solution. Meanwhile, how can the edtech providers who create solutions to these problems be sure that they’re developing something that is having a positive impact on schools? At MINTclass, our answer is this: Bring the two together!

Every pupil is different. They all have their own learning styles, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own levels of attainment. Most classrooms in the UK today are mixed ability, which means teachers need effective ways of catering for each and every pupil, so that no one is left behind.

The way we’re teaching in the classroom is changing, and it’s time to review the way we communicate and engage with the whole school community. Following the removal of national curriculum levels, schools have been given a measure of freedom as to how they teach the curriculum. Some may think this is an improvement – but it begs the question - does that make it more difficult for parents to understand how to read the performance of their child?

We are used to deploying technology in schools to support ICT lessons and to help with the general administration of learning. However, many schools don’t get the best value from their ICT investments because they miss out on the cross-curricular engagement factor that some technologies can offer.

Martin McKay is the chief technology officer and one of the founders of Texthelp Inc. He directs all R&D at Texthelp with a focus on developing new technologies to assist people who struggle with reading and writing. Martin serves as a Universal Design for Learning council member. During this year’s Bett Show, you can find Texthelp at Stand C141.

Most people would agree that for children in the education system, the most important and most stressful time at school is exam time. What is key for students with dyslexia (and their teachers) is to remember that nearly all exams are not testing reading ability but knowledge of a subject. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial for struggling readers to be given the necessary support to read the questions. If you can’t read the question, how can you possibly answer it! C-Pen Exam Readers have tackled this issue, and you can find out more about them at Bett stand A220.